EGU2020-18905, updated on 10 Jan 2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-18905
EGU General Assembly 2020
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

MHD simulations of an Uranus type rotating magnetosphere

Filippo Pantellini1 and Léa Griton2
Filippo Pantellini and Léa Griton
  • 1LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris (filippo.pantellini@obspm.fr)
  • 2Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), CNRS, CNES, Université de Toulouse, UPS (lea.griton@irap.omp.eu)

The characteristic relaxation time of the Uranus magnetosphere is of the order  of the planet's rotation period. This is also the case for Jupiter or Saturn. However, the specificity of Uranus (and to a lesser extent of  Neptune) is that the rotation axis and the magnetic dipole axis are separated by  a large angle (~60°) the consequence of which is the development of a highly dynamic and complex magnetospheric tail. In addition, and contrary to all other planets of the solar system, the rotation axis of Uranus happens to be quasi-parallel to the ecliptic plane which also implies a strong variability of the magnetospheric structure as a function of the season. The magnetosphere of Uranus is thus a particularly challenging case for global plasma simulations, even in the frame of MHD. We present MHD simulations of a Uranus type magnetosphere at both equinox (solar wind is orthogonal to the planetary rotation axis) and solstice (solar wind is orthogonal to the planetary rotation axis) configurations. The main differences between the two configurations will be discussed. 

How to cite: Pantellini, F. and Griton, L.: MHD simulations of an Uranus type rotating magnetosphere, EGU General Assembly 2020, Online, 4–8 May 2020, EGU2020-18905, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-18905, 2020.

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