LABORATORY FACILITY FOR MAGNETOSPHERIC SIMULATION

The magnetospheric simulation facility at the University of California , Riverside (UCR) has been recently modified to improve scalings based on magnetohydrodynamic (MWD) theory. In this facility a magnetized pl asma stream interacts with a downstream dipole magnetic field simulati ng the Earth's magnetosphere. Specific improvements include: higher st ream-flow velocity, increased plasma density, more intense background and dipole magnetic fields, and improved diagnostic capability. This p aper briefly discusses MHD scaling requirements and measurements that are relevant to the laboratory simulation; including a set of time-res olved visible-light images showing the evolution of the model magnetos phere.