[en] The authors report on one dimensional simulations of field aligned current filaments connecting the ionosphere and magnetosphere. The dynamical interaction of the currents with the plasma components in the ionosphere and magnetosphere is able to generate the kV potential differences which are observed along field lines. Arrays of current filaments are modeled side by side with time dependent currents in order to quasi model two dimensional horizontal structure associated with such current filaments. The authors argue that the simple structures revealed by such calculations, which retain a large amount of the physics involved can guide broader scale two and three dimensional calculations which will have to be based upon simpler physics for calculational efficiency