Using a magnetohydrodynamic simulation of magnetotail reconnection, flow bursts and dipolarization we further investigate the current diversion and energy flow and conversion associated with the substorm current wedge (SCW) or smaller scale wedgelets. Current diversion into both Region 1 (R1) and Region 2 (R2) sense systems is found to happen inside (that is, closer to the center of the flow burst) and equatorward of the R1 and R2 type field-aligned currents. In contrast to earlier investigations the current diversion takes place in dipolarized fields extending all the way toward the equatorial plane. An additional FAC system with the signature of R0 (same sense as R2) is found at higher latitudes in taillike fields. The diversion into this system takes place in layers equatorward of the R0 currents, but outside the equatorial plane. Whereas the diversion into R1 and R2 systems is pressure gradient dominated, the diversion into the R0 system is inertia dominated and may persist only during flow burst activity. While azimuthally diverging flows near the dipole contribute to the build-up of R1 and R2 systems, converging flows at larger distance contribute to the build-up of R0 and R1 systems. In contrast to the current diversion regions inside the current wedge, generator regions are found on the outside of the wedge, similar to earlier results. Within the tail domain covered, these regions are overpowered by load regions, such that additional generator regions must be expected closer to Earth, not covered by the present simulation.

Recent advances in reconstructing Earth’s magnetic field and associated currents by utilizing data mining of in situ magnetometer observations in the magnetosphere have proven remarkably accurate at reproducing observed ion diffusion regions. We investigate the effect of placing regions of localized resistivity in global simulations of the magnetosphere at specific locations inspired by the data mining results for the substorm occurring on July 6, 2017. When explicit resistivity is included, the simulation forms an x-line at the same time and location as the MMS observation of an ion diffusion region at 15:35 UT on that day. Without this explicit resistivity, reconnection forms later in the substorm and far too close to Earth ($\gtrsim-15R_E$), a common problem with global simulations of Earth’s magnetosphere. A consequence of reconnection taking place farther down the tail due to localized resistivity is that the reconnection outflows transport magnetic flux Earthward and thus prevent the current sheet from thinning enough for reconnection to take place nearer Earth. As these flows rebound tailward from the inner magnetosphere, they can temporarily and locally (in the dawn-dusk direction) stretch the magnetic field allowing for small scale x-lines to form in the near Earth region. Due to the narrow cross-tail extent of these x-lines ($\lesssim5R_E$) and their short lifespan ($\lesssim5$min), they would be difficult to observe with in situ measurements. Future work will explore time-dependent resistivity using 5 minute cadence data mining reconstructions.