A DYNAMICAL MODEL OF MAGNETIC CLOUDS

摘要

Magnetic clouds observed in interplanetary space are probably the interplanetary manifestations of coronal mass ejections. A looplike magnetic cloud is modeled as a gigantic flux rope that moves through the magnetized medium of the solar wind. The dynamics of a model cylindrical magnetic cloud is used to elucidate the motion of magnetic clouds and their expansion in interplanetary space. Previous models of magnetic clouds with the assumption of either force-free magnetic field or magnetohydrostatic equilibrium preclude the consi-ceration of motion. The dynamical model, based on flux rope dynamics, allows the inclusion of forces that drive the motion of the magnetic clouds relative to the solar wind.