3-DIMENSIONAL MAGNETOSPHERIC RESPONSE TO VARIATIONS IN THE SOLAR-WINDDYNAMIC PRESSURE

Several thousand magnetic measurements at distances from 3 to 10 R-E f rom the database of Fairfield et al. [1994] have been used for studyin g the magnetic field response to variations of the hourly-averaged val ues of the solar wind dynamic pressure. The response differs from that predicted by the Mead [1964] model. Increase in the dynamic pressure compresses the magnetospheric field in the dayside sector mainly. In t he most part of the nightside a depression dominates. The depression i s connected with the growth of the cross-tail current.