Electric circuits of the disturbed magnetosphere-ionosphere system and their generators

The study presents applications of the simplest theory of electric circuits in the analysis of the observed large-scale electric field and currents in the disturbed magnetosphere-ionosphere system. Maps of the distribution of density of field-aligned currents (FAC) in the ionosphere were used. The maps were obtained from ground-based magnetic measurements using the original technique of inversion of magnetograms (TIM), and also from satellite measurements. We suggested the method of determining the circuits from data of the maps based on finding spatial R.N-inhomogeneities in each of three Iijima and Potemra FAC zones. Using the results of new method we described some unknown before generators of electric field and currents, new types of current systems in the tail lobes and plasma sheet, as well as formation and dynamics of new types of three-dimensional systems with auroral electrojets and meridional ionospheric Pedersen currents which have received little attention in literature.