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Title: Note on the location of the stagnation point in the magnetosheath flow

Abstract

Observational and theoretical investigations indicate that the shape of the magnetosphere is nearly symmetric about the plane defined by the aberrated solar wind velocity and the earth's magnetic dipole axis. Nevertheless, many phenomena such as magnetic pulsations and geomagnetic activity seem to indicate that the effective solar wind arrival direction is perhaps 15/sup 0/ to the dawn side of noon. This apparent paradox may have a simple resolution since it can be shown that the location of the stagnation point in the magnetosheath flow is shifted towards dawn by MHD effects not included in the simple gasdynamic model of the solar wind interaction. The shape of the magnetosphere is little affected by the inclusion of these MHD effects. However, the size of the stagnation point shift is very sensitive to the Alfven Mach number and can only account for the largest reported shifts (approx.15/sup 0/) at low Mach numbers (< or approx. =3.5).

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024
OSTI Identifier:
5872988
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 8:9
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; MAGNETOSHEATH; STAGNATION; INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS; MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS; MAGNETIC FLUX; MAGNETOSPHERE; PLASMA DRIFT; SOLAR WIND; EARTH ATMOSPHERE; MAGNETIC FIELDS; SOLAR ACTIVITY; 640203* - Atmospheric Physics- Magnetospheric Phenomena- (-1987)

Citation Formats

Russell, C T, Zhuang, H, Walker, R J, and Crooker, N U. Note on the location of the stagnation point in the magnetosheath flow. United States: N. p., 1981. Web. doi:10.1029/GL008i009p00984.
Russell, C T, Zhuang, H, Walker, R J, & Crooker, N U. Note on the location of the stagnation point in the magnetosheath flow. United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/GL008i009p00984
Russell, C T, Zhuang, H, Walker, R J, and Crooker, N U. 1981. "Note on the location of the stagnation point in the magnetosheath flow". United States. https://doi.org/10.1029/GL008i009p00984.
@article{osti_5872988,
title = {Note on the location of the stagnation point in the magnetosheath flow},
author = {Russell, C T and Zhuang, H and Walker, R J and Crooker, N U},
abstractNote = {Observational and theoretical investigations indicate that the shape of the magnetosphere is nearly symmetric about the plane defined by the aberrated solar wind velocity and the earth's magnetic dipole axis. Nevertheless, many phenomena such as magnetic pulsations and geomagnetic activity seem to indicate that the effective solar wind arrival direction is perhaps 15/sup 0/ to the dawn side of noon. This apparent paradox may have a simple resolution since it can be shown that the location of the stagnation point in the magnetosheath flow is shifted towards dawn by MHD effects not included in the simple gasdynamic model of the solar wind interaction. The shape of the magnetosphere is little affected by the inclusion of these MHD effects. However, the size of the stagnation point shift is very sensitive to the Alfven Mach number and can only account for the largest reported shifts (approx.15/sup 0/) at low Mach numbers (< or approx. =3.5).},
doi = {10.1029/GL008i009p00984},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5872988}, journal = {Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 8:9,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981},
month = {Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981}
}