Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026
10:07
Growing Magnetotactic Bacteria of the Genus Magnetospirillum: Strains MSR-1, AMB-1 and MS-1
Published on: October 17, 2018
The Earth's Magnetosphere: A Systems Science Overview and Assessment
Joseph E Borovsky1, Juan Alejandro Valdivia2
11Center for Space Plasma Physics, Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO 80301 USA.
Surveys in Geophysics
|April 9, 2019
Summary
This study presents a systems science view of the Earth's magnetosphere, detailing its 14 interconnected subsystems. It highlights the system's complexity and connectivity, offering a roadmap for future research.
Area of Science:
- Earth Science
- Space Physics
- Systems Science
Background:
- The Earth's magnetosphere is a complex, dynamic system crucial for understanding space weather.
- Previous studies have not fully captured the interconnectedness of the magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive systems science examination of the Earth's magnetosphere.
- To catalog and describe the magnetosphere's 14 interconnected subsystems.
- To assess the applicability of system descriptors to the magnetospheric system.
Main Methods:
- Systems science analysis of the magnetosphere-ionosphere-thermosphere system.
- Cataloging and description of 14 particle population subsystems (12 plasmas, 2 neutrals).
- Explanation of magnetospheric waves coupling subsystem behaviors.
Main Results:
- The magnetospheric system is characterized as adaptive, nonlinear, dissipative, interdependent, open, irreversible, and complex.
- A detailed roadmap of the magnetospheric system's connectivity is established.
- Four examples of emergent phenomena in the Earth's magnetosphere are presented.
Conclusions:
- This work provides a holistic view of the magnetosphere, emphasizing its full interconnectedness.
- Facilitates future global systems science studies of the magnetosphere across diverse scales.
- Aims to connect magnetospheric systems science with broader Earth systems science.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:30Magnetism
Magnets are commonly found in everyday objects, such as toys, hangers, elevators, doorbells, and computer devices. Experimentation on these magnets shows that all magnets have two poles: one is labeled north (N) and the other south (S). Magnetic poles repel if they are alike and attract if unlike. Moreover, both poles of a magnet attract unmagnetized pieces of iron.
An individual magnetic pole cannot be isolated. No matter how small, every piece of a magnet contains a north pole and a south...
An individual magnetic pole cannot be isolated. No matter how small, every piece of a magnet contains a north pole and a south...
01:27Magnetic Fields
A moving charge or a current creates a magnetic field in the surrounding space, in addition to its electric field. The magnetic field exerts a force on any other moving charge or current that is present in the field. Like an electric field, the magnetic field is also a vector field. At any position, the direction of the magnetic field is defined as the direction in which the north pole of a compass needle points.
A magnetic field is defined by the force that a charged particle experiences...
A magnetic field is defined by the force that a charged particle experiences...
01:26Diamagnetism
Materials consisting of paired electrons have zero net magnetic moments. However, when these materials are placed under an external magnetic field, the moments opposite to the field are induced. Such materials are called diamagnets. Diamagnetism is the response of the diamagnets when placed in an external magnetic field.
Diamagnetism was discovered by Anton Brugmans in 1778 when he observed that bismuth gets repelled by magnetic fields, thus theorizing that diamagnets get repelled by magnets.
Diamagnetism was discovered by Anton Brugmans in 1778 when he observed that bismuth gets repelled by magnetic fields, thus theorizing that diamagnets get repelled by magnets.
01:24Potential Due to a Magnetized Object
Magnetic dipoles in magnetic materials are aligned when placed under an external magnetic field. For paramagnets and ferromagnets, dipole alignment occurs in the direction of the magnetic field. However, the dipoles align opposite to the field in the case of diamagnets. This state of magnetic polarization due to the external field is called magnetization. Magnetization is defined as the dipole moment per unit volume. It plays a similar role to polarization in electrostatics.
The vector...
The vector...
01:28Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions
An electric field suffers a discontinuity at a surface charge. Similarly, a magnetic field is discontinuous at a surface current. The perpendicular component of a magnetic field is continuous across the interface of two magnetic mediums. In contrast, its parallel component, perpendicular to the current, is discontinuous by the amount equal to the product of the vacuum permeability and the surface current. Like the scalar potential in electrostatics, the vector potential is also continuous...
01:31Magnetic Susceptibility and Permeability
In linear magnetic materials, like paramagnets and diamagnets, magnetization is proportional to the magnetic field intensity. The constant of proportionality, a dimensionless number, is called magnetic susceptibility. The value of the susceptibility depends on the type of material.
When diamagnetic materials are placed under an external magnetic field, the moments opposite to the field are induced. Hence, the susceptibility for diamagnets has a minimal negative value of 10-5–10-6. Since...
When diamagnetic materials are placed under an external magnetic field, the moments opposite to the field are induced. Hence, the susceptibility for diamagnets has a minimal negative value of 10-5–10-6. Since...