Theoretical studies of magnetic field line reconnection and its application to solar flares and magnetospheric dynamics. Final report, 1 Jun 1974--31 May 1975

This report contains two articles by Tyan Yeh. The first is entitled 'A Composite Solution of Field Line Reconnection'. In this article a solution of the MHD equations is presented which describes field line reconnection by stagnant diffusion in the middle of a piecewise-uniform convective hydromagnetic flow. This composite solution demonstrates that the diffusion region adjusts its shape and size in accommodation to the incident merging fluids. The second article is entitled 'Dayside Reconnection Between a Dipolar Geomagnetic Field and a Uniform Interplanetary Field'. This article describes how field line reconnection on the dayside magnetopause is assumed to take place along the separator of field line connectivity in the magnetic topology resulting from the interpermeation of a dipolar geomagnetic field and a uniform interplanetary field. The induced voltage is calculated to show its dependence on the magnitude and direction of the incident magnetic field