Six Magnetic Field Models Compared:
Mapping Geosynchronous Orbit
to the Auroral Zone

Geoffrey D. Reeves
Loretta A. Weiss, Michelle F. Thomsen and David J. McComas
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos NM

The Tsyganenko 1987 model is, qualitatively, very similar to the Tsyganenko 1989 model.
- Kp can take on 6 values, 0-4 and >4+.
- High Kp moves the foot points equatorward for all LT.
- No dayside compression at high Kp.
- Foot points always equatorward of IGRF foot points.
- The field is substantially stretched at midnight for Kp=0
The Tsyganenko 1987 model differs from the Tsyganenko 1989 model in the quantitative dependence of the foot points on Kp.
The Tsyganenko 1987 model stretches the field less at midnight for high Kp than the Tsyganenko 1989 model.
The strangest feature of the Tsyganenko 1987 model is that for the highest values of Kp the effect of field line stretching is minimum at local midnight and maximum on the dawn and dusk flanks.

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Last updated: Tuesday June, 20 1995