Some theoretical aspects of the solar wind-magnetospheric interaction

Ideal MHD and plasma kinetic theories have been successful in explaining a number of phenomena occurring in passive plasma regions. However, transport of energy, momentum and mass from the solar wind into the magnetosphere, as well as reconnection and generation of the field-aligned current (J_∥), often occur in active plasma regions. In active plasma regions, the dynamic interaction of MHD mesoscale filaments plays a decisive role and transport processes are often controlled by inductive effects, unlike in passive plasmas, where studies of instabilities are often important and transport processes are related to dissipative terms,. The irreversible generation of field-aligned current filaments (δ_∥) during driven reconnection is the primary source of the field-aligned current and provides an important mechanism for the transfer of energy, momentum and mass from the solar wind into the magnetosphere. In this dynamic situation, a plasma should be treated not only as an electrically conductive fluid but also as a collection of macroparticles (Song and Lysak, 1994).