The magnetospheric response to 8-minute period strong-amplitude upstream pressure variations

Journal Article · Tue Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1989 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA094iA03p02505· OSTI ID:5839296

Sibeck, D G; Lui, A T.Y.; McEntire, R W; Potemra, T A; Takahashi, K ^[1]; Baumjohann, W ^[2]; Elphic, R C ^[3]; Fairfield, D H ^[4]; Fennell, J F ^[5]; Gail, W B ^[6]; Lanzerotti, L J; MacLennan, C G ^[7]; Lopez, R E ^[8]; Luehr, H ^[9]; Rosenberg, T J ^[10]

---

1. Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (USA)
2. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Physik und Astrophysik, Garching (West Germany)
3. Univ. of California, Los Angeles (USA)
4. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (USA)
5. Aerospace Corp., Los Angeles, CA (USA)
6. Stanford Univ., CA (USA)
7. AT and T Bell Labs., Murray Hill, NJ (USA)
8. Applied Research Corp., Landover, MD (USA)
9. Technische Universitaet Braunschweig (West Germany)
10. Univ. of Maryland, College Park (USA)

This paper documents a series of brief, strong ({Delta}p/p=1), dynamic pressure oscillations that occurred in the region upstream of the Earth's bow shock during a period of radial interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The analyzed set of oscillations, which may be either intrinsic solar wind or bow shock-related phenomena, recur approximately every 8-10 min, and their magnetic field signatures occur nearly simultaneously over great distances transverse to the Earth-Sun line. The pressure oscillations appear to drive tailward-moving magnetopause surface wavelets. In turn, the surface wavelets can be identified as hydromagnetic waves with strong compressional components in the outer magnetosphere and as quasi-periodic variations in electron precipitation and high-latitude ground pulsations. The authors use observations by spacecraft in the outer dayside magnetosphere to predict geosynchronous and subsolar magnetic field strengths, the location of the subsolar magnetopause, the solar wind dynamic pressure, and variations in the energetic magnetospheric ion flux.

• OSTI ID: 5839296
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA) Vol. 94:A3; ISSN JGREA; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
FUNCTIONS
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INTERACTIONS
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOPAUSE
PRESSURE EFFECTS
PULSATIONS
RESPONSE FUNCTIONS
SHOCK WAVES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
VARIATIONS