Aspects of magnetopause/magnetosphere response to interplanetary discontinuities, and features of magnetopause Kelvin-Helmholtz waves

We describe (i) perturbations of the magnetopause/magnetosphere elicited by an interplanetary discontinuity and (ii) the production of Kelvin-Helmholtz waves on the magnetopause. These are two large topics, so for reasons of space we combine both features in a single data example, supporting the obs...

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Autor principal: Gratton, Fausto Tulio Livio
Publicado: 2011
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Acceso en línea:https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_13646826_v73_n1_p40_Farrugia
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_13646826_v73_n1_p40_Farrugia
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spelling paper:paper_13646826_v73_n1_p40_Farrugia2023-06-08T16:11:58Z Aspects of magnetopause/magnetosphere response to interplanetary discontinuities, and features of magnetopause Kelvin-Helmholtz waves Gratton, Fausto Tulio Livio Interplanetary discontinuities Kelvin-Helmholtz instability Vortex sheets Azimuthal components Current sheets Data examples Flow vectors Four cycles Helmholtz Initial perturbation Input parameter Interplanetary discontinuities Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities Kelvin-Helmholtz waves Magnetosheaths Non-linear Northward IMF Numerical simulation Solar wind velocity Tangential stress Two stage Vortex sheet Helmholtz equation Interplanetary spacecraft Solar wind Surface waves Vortex flow Magnetosphere We describe (i) perturbations of the magnetopause/magnetosphere elicited by an interplanetary discontinuity and (ii) the production of Kelvin-Helmholtz waves on the magnetopause. These are two large topics, so for reasons of space we combine both features in a single data example, supporting the observations by theory. Correspondingly, the observations, made by ACE, consist of an interval in which a current sheet is followed by a period of strongly northward IMF. In view of recent attention directed at the effect of variations of the azimuthal component of the solar wind velocity on the magnetosphere, we chose a current sheet (CS) across which the east-west components of both field and flow vectors change polarity. A two-stage response is evident in the records of Cluster, outbound at the dusk terminator at 27° MLAT: (i) Four cycles of large-amplitude, ~3min oscillations during which the spacecraft sample alternately the cold, dense magnetosheath and the hot and tenuous magnetosphere plasmas. We argue that these motions are likely due to tangential stresses applied to the magnetopause. (ii) Soon thereafter the oscillatory character changes dramatically, and ~80s small-amplitude undulations appear which we argue to be magnetopause surface waves. Applying linear MHD theory we show these waves are due to a locally Kelvin-Helmholtz unstable boundary. As input parameters, we take values during the preceding large oscillations at the same magnetopause locale. An aspect of the non-linear phase of this instability is illustrated by a numerical simulation: the reduced duration of the evolution into large vortices by a strong initial perturbation. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. Fil:Gratton, F.T. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. 2011 https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_13646826_v73_n1_p40_Farrugia http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_13646826_v73_n1_p40_Farrugia
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-134
collection Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
topic Interplanetary discontinuities
Kelvin-Helmholtz instability
Vortex sheets
Azimuthal components
Current sheets
Data examples
Flow vectors
Four cycles
Helmholtz
Initial perturbation
Input parameter
Interplanetary discontinuities
Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities
Kelvin-Helmholtz waves
Magnetosheaths
Non-linear
Northward IMF
Numerical simulation
Solar wind velocity
Tangential stress
Two stage
Vortex sheet
Helmholtz equation
Interplanetary spacecraft
Solar wind
Surface waves
Vortex flow
Magnetosphere
spellingShingle Interplanetary discontinuities
Kelvin-Helmholtz instability
Vortex sheets
Azimuthal components
Current sheets
Data examples
Flow vectors
Four cycles
Helmholtz
Initial perturbation
Input parameter
Interplanetary discontinuities
Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities
Kelvin-Helmholtz waves
Magnetosheaths
Non-linear
Northward IMF
Numerical simulation
Solar wind velocity
Tangential stress
Two stage
Vortex sheet
Helmholtz equation
Interplanetary spacecraft
Solar wind
Surface waves
Vortex flow
Magnetosphere
Gratton, Fausto Tulio Livio
Aspects of magnetopause/magnetosphere response to interplanetary discontinuities, and features of magnetopause Kelvin-Helmholtz waves
topic_facet Interplanetary discontinuities
Kelvin-Helmholtz instability
Vortex sheets
Azimuthal components
Current sheets
Data examples
Flow vectors
Four cycles
Helmholtz
Initial perturbation
Input parameter
Interplanetary discontinuities
Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities
Kelvin-Helmholtz waves
Magnetosheaths
Non-linear
Northward IMF
Numerical simulation
Solar wind velocity
Tangential stress
Two stage
Vortex sheet
Helmholtz equation
Interplanetary spacecraft
Solar wind
Surface waves
Vortex flow
Magnetosphere
description We describe (i) perturbations of the magnetopause/magnetosphere elicited by an interplanetary discontinuity and (ii) the production of Kelvin-Helmholtz waves on the magnetopause. These are two large topics, so for reasons of space we combine both features in a single data example, supporting the observations by theory. Correspondingly, the observations, made by ACE, consist of an interval in which a current sheet is followed by a period of strongly northward IMF. In view of recent attention directed at the effect of variations of the azimuthal component of the solar wind velocity on the magnetosphere, we chose a current sheet (CS) across which the east-west components of both field and flow vectors change polarity. A two-stage response is evident in the records of Cluster, outbound at the dusk terminator at 27° MLAT: (i) Four cycles of large-amplitude, ~3min oscillations during which the spacecraft sample alternately the cold, dense magnetosheath and the hot and tenuous magnetosphere plasmas. We argue that these motions are likely due to tangential stresses applied to the magnetopause. (ii) Soon thereafter the oscillatory character changes dramatically, and ~80s small-amplitude undulations appear which we argue to be magnetopause surface waves. Applying linear MHD theory we show these waves are due to a locally Kelvin-Helmholtz unstable boundary. As input parameters, we take values during the preceding large oscillations at the same magnetopause locale. An aspect of the non-linear phase of this instability is illustrated by a numerical simulation: the reduced duration of the evolution into large vortices by a strong initial perturbation. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd.
author Gratton, Fausto Tulio Livio
author_facet Gratton, Fausto Tulio Livio
author_sort Gratton, Fausto Tulio Livio
title Aspects of magnetopause/magnetosphere response to interplanetary discontinuities, and features of magnetopause Kelvin-Helmholtz waves
title_short Aspects of magnetopause/magnetosphere response to interplanetary discontinuities, and features of magnetopause Kelvin-Helmholtz waves
title_full Aspects of magnetopause/magnetosphere response to interplanetary discontinuities, and features of magnetopause Kelvin-Helmholtz waves
title_fullStr Aspects of magnetopause/magnetosphere response to interplanetary discontinuities, and features of magnetopause Kelvin-Helmholtz waves
title_full_unstemmed Aspects of magnetopause/magnetosphere response to interplanetary discontinuities, and features of magnetopause Kelvin-Helmholtz waves
title_sort aspects of magnetopause/magnetosphere response to interplanetary discontinuities, and features of magnetopause kelvin-helmholtz waves
publishDate 2011
url https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_13646826_v73_n1_p40_Farrugia
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_13646826_v73_n1_p40_Farrugia
work_keys_str_mv AT grattonfaustotuliolivio aspectsofmagnetopausemagnetosphereresponsetointerplanetarydiscontinuitiesandfeaturesofmagnetopausekelvinhelmholtzwaves
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