Magnetospheric Dynamics and Chaos Theory

TL;DR

This paper explores the hypothesis of magnetospheric chaos as a key to understanding magnetic substorms, utilizing Grassberger-Procassia correlation dimension estimation and Lyapunov exponents to analyze magnetospheric dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces the application of chaos theory methods to magnetospheric phenomena, pioneering the analysis of magnetospheric chaos for substorm interpretation.

Findings

Demonstrated the feasibility of tracing magnetospheric chaos

Proposed estimation of chaoticity via Lyapunov exponents

First studies linking chaos theory to magnetospheric substorms

Abstract

The results of this study were announced and published in Greek in the Fifth Panhellenic Conference Proceedings of the Hellenic Physical Society. It is the sequel of a previous study (Pavlos, 1988), in which it was introduced the hypothesis of magnetospheric chaos for the interpretation of magnetic substorms. In this study it is described the possibility of tracing magnetospheric chaos through Grassberger and Procassia method for the estimation of correlation dimension. In addition, it is proposed, the estimation of chaoticity through the computation of Lyapunov exponents. This study and its previous one constitute the first studies ever concerning the hypothesis of magnetospheric chaos for the interpretation and understanding the magnetospheric substorms. A series of publications of G.P.Pavlos followed the initial two studies in scientific journals and conference proceedings (www.gpavlos.gr). The publication of this study in English version has a historical importance and interest regarding the history of evolution of the concept of magnetospheric chaos. For an extended discussion concerning magnetospheric chaos, see, Pavlos 2012 ArXiv.