A global magnetic topology model for magnetic clouds. III

Abstract

In two previous papers, we presented a global model for the analysis of magnetic clouds (MCs), where the three components of the magnetic field were fitted to the corresponding Geocentric Solar Ecliptic experimental data, obtaining reliable information, for example, about the orientation of these events in the interplanetary medium. That model, due to its non-force-free character, (∇p ≠ 0), could be extended to determine the plasma behavior. In the present work, we develop that extension, now including the plasma behavior inside the cloud through the analysis of the plasma pressure, and define a fitting procedure where the pressure and the magnetic field components are fitted simultaneously. After deducing the magnetic field topology and the current density components of the model, we calculate the expression of the pressure tensor and, in particular, its trace. In light of the results, we conclude that incorporating the plasma behavior in the analysis of the MCs can give us a better scenario in which to understand the physical mechanisms involved in the evolution of such magnetic structures in the interplanetary medium. © 2014. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.