MAGNETOTAIL MAGNETIC FLUX CALCULATION USING GLOBAL MHD SIMULATIONS

We describe the method that allows to determine a shape of the tail magnetopause and calculate the magnetotail magnetic flux in the specified tail cross-section based on results of the global MHD simulations. Several approaches to determine the magnetopause have been tested, including those based on “current density peak”, “maximal plasma density gradient” or the “fluopause” based on tracing the solar wind flow streamlines. It was shown that “fluopause method” provides the best determination in the tailward part of magnetopause. After finding the magnetopause the magnetotail magnetic flux was integrated as ( ) i i S B