Magnetosheath density fluctuations and magnetopause motion
- Johns Hopkins Univ. Applied Physics Lab., Laurel, MD (United States)
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation controls foreshock densities and modulates the fraction of the solar wind dynamic pressure applied to the magnetosphere. Such pressure variations produce bow shock and magnetopause motion and cause the radial profiles for various magnetosheath parameters to sweep inward and outward past nearly stationary satellites. The authors report ISEE 2 observations of correlated density and speed fluctuations, and anticorrelated density and temperature fluctuations, on an outbound pass through the northern dawnside magnetosheath. Densities decreased when the magnetic field rotated southward and draped about the magnetopause. In the absence of any significant solar wind density or dynamic pressure variations, they interpret the magnetosheath fluctuations as evidence for radial magnetosheath motion induced by variations in the IMF orientation. 41 refs., 8 figs.
- OSTI ID:
- 254428
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research Journal Issue: A1 Vol. 101; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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