Tenuous solar winds: Insights on solar wind–magnetosphere interactions

During solar cycle 23 quasi-dropouts of the solar wind (density < 1 cm_3) were observed. These tenuous winds allow us to probe properties of the magnetosphere and its coupling to the solar wind which would otherwise be obscured by the effect of high density. We focus on five areas which provided...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Farrugia, C. J., Gratton, Fausto Tulio Livio, Jordanova, V. K., Matsui, H., Muehlbachler, S., Torbert, R., Ogilvie, K., Singer, H. J.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2008
País:Argentina
Institución:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/103292
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/103292
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:SOLAR
WIND
MAGNETOSPHERE
INTERACTION
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.3
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Descripción
Sumario:During solar cycle 23 quasi-dropouts of the solar wind (density < 1 cm_3) were observed. These tenuous winds allow us to probe properties of the magnetosphere and its coupling to the solar wind which would otherwise be obscured by the effect of high density. We focus on five areas which provided new insights into the response of geospace to solar wind variations: (i) the magnetospheric magnetic cofiguration; (ii) the polar rain; (iii) dayside flux erosion; (iv) magnetosheath waves; and (v) ring current constants. We find: (i) the geostationary field had dipolar strength and was inclined by £ 5°  to the dipolar direction; (ii) The solar wind strahl, and consequently the polar rain, were intensified; (iii) The depression of the geostationary field (DBGS) due to dayside flux erosion could be measured and was related to IMF BZ by DBGS = 2:8 + 2:3 Bz (nT); (iv) Right-hand electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves were excited alone in the magnetosheath and were generated directly from the temperature anisotropy of the solar wind; (v) Ring and magnetopause currents decreased to asymptotic values of 5 nT and 3 nT, respectively, which are substantially smaller than quiet-time values obtained from statistics.