Laboratory Simulation of the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Interaction

A controlled plasma–magnetic field interaction has been achieved, the conditions of which are such as to fulfill generally the scaling considerations of some aspects of geophysical phenomena, in particular the initial commencement of a magnetic storm. The preliminary measurements indicate the sweeping action on a magnetic field by a moving plasma; the formation of a magnetic cavity; the motion of the "dip pole" under perturbed conditions; the stand-off of plasma; a quasi Van Allen belt whose drift westward can be suggested as a ring current mechanism; and a polar trapping region. The correlations between the laboratory observations, geophysical measurements, and related theories, where possible, show no serious discrepancies as yet.