Reconstruction of steady, three‐dimensional, magnetohydrostatic field and plasma structures in space: Theory and benchmarking

摘要

A first attempt is made to reconstruct magnetic field and pressure distributions in steady, three‐dimensional (3D), magnetohydrostatic structures, using field and plasma data taken by two proximate spacecraft as they traverse such structures in space. The reconstruction is based on integration of the four scalar magnetohydrostatic equations for the field components and the pressure in a narrow region surrounding the spacecraft paths. The equations have been adapted for use in such reconstruction and a numerical code based on them has been written. The code has been benchmarked by use of synthetic data taken at points along straight lines through an exact, spheromak‐type, axially symmetric, solution of the equations. The results demonstrate that reasonably accurate reconstruction of time‐independent, 3D magnetohydrostatic structures is in principle possible.