Interaction of Pc4 ULF waves with solar wind velocity and its dependence on Kp values

Background/Objectives: Magnetic Pulsations recorded on the ground in the earth are produced by processes inside the magnetosphere and solar wind. These processes produce a wide variety of ULF hydromagnetic wave type which can be categorized on the ground as either Pi or Pc pulsations (irregular or continuous). Methods: Distinctive regions of the magnetosphere originate different frequencies of waves. Digital Dynamic Spectra (DDS) for the northsouth (X), east-west (Y) and vertical (Z) components of the recorded data were constructed for every day for 365 days (January 1 to December 31, 2005) in the station order PON, HAN and NAG respectively. Pc4 geomagnetic pulsations are quasi-sinusoidal fluctuations in the earth’s magnetic field in the length range 45-150 seconds. The magnitude of these pulsations ranges from fraction of a Nano Tesla (nT) to several nT. The monthly variation of Pc4 occurrence has a Kp dependence range of 0 to 9-. However, Pc4 occurrence was reported for Kp values, yet the major Pc4 events occurred for rage 5+ <Kp< 8+. The magnitudes of intervals of Pc4 occurrence decreased in the station order PON, HAN and NAG respectively. Analysis of the data for the whole year 2005 provided similar patterns of Pc4 occurrence for Vsw at all the three stations. Although Pc4 ULF wave occurrence become reported for Vsw ranging from 250 to 1000 Km/s, yet the major Pc4 event recorded for a Vsw range of 300-700 Km/sec. Findings: The current study is undertaken for describing the interaction of Pc4 ULF waves with solar wind speed and its dependence on Kp values. The results suggest that the solar wind control Pc4 occurrence through a mechanism in which Pc4 wave energy is convected through the magnetosheath and coupled to the standing oscillations of the magnetospheric field lines. PACS Nos: 94.30.cq; 96.50.Tf Keywords: Geomagnetic micropulsations; MHD waves and instabilities; Solar wind-control of Pc4 pulsation

Plasma flow patterns in and around magnetosheath jets

The magnetosheath is commonly permeated by localized high-speed jets downstream of the quasi-parallel bow shock. These jets are much faster than the ambient magnetosheath plasma, thus raising the question of how that latter plasma reacts to incoming jets. We have performed a statistical analysis based on 662 cases of one THEMIS spacecraft observing a jet and another (second) THEMIS spacecraft providing context observations of nearby plasma to uncover the flow patterns in and around jets. The following results are found: along the jet's path, slower plasma is accelerated and pushed aside ahead of the fastest core jet plasma. Behind the jet core, plasma flows into the path to fill the wake. This evasive plasma motion affects the ambient magnetosheath, close to the jet's path. Diverging and converging plasma flows ahead and behind the jet are complemented by plasma flows opposite to the jet's propagation direction, in the vicinity of the jet. This vortical plasma motion results in a deceleration of ambient plasma when a jet passes nearby. Keywords. Magnetospheric physics (magnetosheath; MHD waves and instabilities; solar wind–magnetosphere interactions)

A case study testing the cavity mode model of the magnetosphere

Based on a case study we test the cavity mode model of the magnetosphere, looking for eigenfrequencies via multi-satellite and multi-instrument measurements. Geotail and ACE provide information on the interplanetary medium that dictates the input parameters of the system; the four Cluster satellites monitor the magnetopause surface waves; the POLAR (L=9.4) and LANL 97A (L=6.6) satellites reveal two in-situ monochromatic field line resonances (FLRs) with T=6 and 2.5 min, respectively; and the IMAGE ground magnetometers demonstrate latitude dependent delays in signature arrival times, as inferred by Sarafopoulos (2004b). Similar dispersive structures showing systematic delays are also extensively scrutinized by Sarafopoulos (2005) and interpreted as tightly associated with the so-called pseudo-FLRs, which show almost the same observational characteristics with an authentic FLR. In particular for this episode, successive solar wind pressure pulses produce recurring ionosphere twin vortex Hall currents which are identified on the ground as pseudo-FLRs. The BJN ground magnetometer records the pseudo-FLR (alike with the other IMAGE station responses) associated with an intense power spectral density ranging from 8 to 12 min and, in addition, two discrete resonant lines with T=3.5 and 7 min. In this case study, even though the magnetosphere is evidently affected by a broad-band compressional wave originated upstream of the bow shock, nevertheless, we do not identify any cavity mode oscillation within the magnetosphere. We fail, also, to identify any of the cavity mode frequencies proposed by Samson (1992). Keywords. Magnetospheric physics (Magnetosphereionosphere interactions; Solar wind-magnetosphere interactions; MHD waves and instabilities)

The Plasmasphere Boundary Layer

As an inner magnetospheric phenomenon the plasmapause region is of interest for a number of reasons, one being the occurrence there of geophysically important interactions between the plasmas of the hot plasma sheet and of the cool plasmasphere. There is a need for a conceptual framework within which to examine and discuss these interactions and their consequences, and we therefore suggest that the plasmapause region be called the Plasmasphere Boundary Layer, or PBL. Such a term has been slow to emerge because of the complexity and variability of the plasma populations that can exist near the plasmapause and because of the variety of criteria used to identify the plasmapause in experimental data. Furthermore, and quite importantly in our view, a substantial obstacle to the consideration of the plasmapause region as a boundary layer has been the longstanding tendency of textbooks on space physics to limit introductory material on the plasmapause phenomenon to zeroth order descriptions in terms of ideal MHD theory, thus implying that the plasmasphere is relatively well understood. A textbook may introduce the concept of shielding of the inner magnetosphere from perturbing convection electric fields, but attention is not usually paid to the variety of physical processes reported to occur in the PBL, such as heating, instabilities, and fast longitudinal flows, processes which must play roles in plasmasphere dynamics in concert with the flow regimes associated with the major dynamo sources of electric fields. We believe that through the use of the PBL concept in future textbook discussions of the plasmasphere and in scientific communications, much progress can be made on longstanding questions about the physics involved in the formation of the plasmapause and in the cycles of erosion and recovery of the plasmasphere. Key words. Magnetospheric physics (plasmasphere; plasma convection; MHD waves and instabilities)

Penetration of magnetosonic waves into the magnetosphere: influence of a transition layer

We have constructed a theory for the penetration of magnetosonic waves from the solar wind into the magnetosphere through a transition layer in a plane-stratified model for the medium. In this model the boundary layer is treated as a region, inside of which the parameters of the medium vary from values characteristic for the magnetosphere, to values typical of the solar wind. It is shown that if such a layer has sufficiently sharp boundaries, then magnetosonic eigen-oscillations can be excited inside of it. The boundaries of such a layer are partially permeable for magnetosonic waves. Therefore, if the eigen-oscillations are not sustained by an external source, they will be attenuated, because some of the energy is carried away by the oscillations that penetrate the solar wind and the magnetosphere. It is shown that about 40% of the energy flux of the waves incident on the transition layer in the magnetotail region penetrate to the magnetosphere’s interior. This energy flux suffices to sustain the stationary convection of magnetospheric plasma. The total energy input to the magnetosphere during a time interval of the order of the substorm growth phase time is comparable with the energetics of an average substorm.Key words. Magnetospheric physics (MHD waves and instabilities; solar wind–magnetosphere interactions) – Space plasma physics (kinetic and MHD theory)