Comparative magnetospheres: lessons for Earth

Vasyliūnas, V. M.

doi:10.1016/j.asr.2003.04.051

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Vasyliunas (2004) introduced the dimensionless expression m o S P V A e for use in comparing the magnetospheres of different solar system objects. We restrict its use here to the Earth, for in effect, the CF and Dungey-like magnetospheres represent different types of solar system objects.…”

Section: Appearance Of Non-cf Phenomenamentioning

confidence: 99%

Aspects of global coherence of magnetospheric behavior

Siscoe

2011

Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics

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Section: Appearance Of Non-cf Phenomenamentioning

confidence: 99%

Aspects of global coherence of magnetospheric behavior

Siscoe

2011

Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics

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“…In addition, Mercury does not have an ionosphere. This suggests that the behavior of magnetospheric convection will largely differ (e.g., Vasyliunas [2004; see also Fujimoto et al , 2007] for a review on Mercury's magnetosphere). Mercury constitutes a different regime from which to learn, since both solar wind and ionospheric properties differ from those at Earth.…”

Section: Summary and Future Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Altered solar wind‐magnetosphere interaction at low Mach numbers: Coronal mass ejections

2008

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[1] We illustrate some fundamental alterations of the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction that occur during low Mach number solar wind. We first show that low Mach number solar wind conditions are often characteristic of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and magnetic clouds in particular. We then illustrate the pivotal role of the magnetosheath. This comes from the fact that low Mach number solar wind leads to the formation of a low thermal b magnetosheath downstream of the bow shock. This property influences magnetic forces and currents, in particular, and in turn alters magnetosheathmagnetosphere coupling. The implications of this unusual regime of interaction have generally been overlooked. Potentially affected phenomena include the following: (1) asymmetric magnetosheath flows (with substantial enhancements), (2) asymmetric magnetopause and magnetotail shapes, (3) changes in the development of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and giant spiral auroral features, (4) variations in the controlling factors of dayside magnetic reconnection, (5) cross polar cap potential saturation and Alfvén wings, and (6) global sawtooth oscillations. Here we examine these phenomena, primarily by use of global magnetohydrodynamic simulations, and discuss the mechanisms that rule such an altered interaction. We emphasize the fact that all these effects tend to occur simultaneously so as to render the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction drastically different from the more typical high Mach number case. In addition to the more extensively studied inner magnetosphere and magnetotail processes, these effects may have important implications during CME-driven storms at Earth, as well as at other astronomical bodies such as Mercury.

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“…When it is low, magnetic forces dominate. This basic change leads to a dichotomy in the type of solar windmagnetosphere interaction, in many respects, as synthesized in Lavraud and Borovsky [2008] (see also Vasyliunas [2004] and Siscoe [2011] for complementary discussions to this topic).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Asymmetry of magnetosheath flows and magnetopause shape during low Alfvén Mach number solar wind

et al. 2013

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[1] Previous works have emphasized the significant influence of the solar wind Alfvén Mach number (M A ) on magnetospheric dynamics. Here we report statistical, observational results that pertain to changes in the magnetosheath flow distribution and magnetopause shape as a function of solar wind M A and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) clock angle orientation. We use all Cluster 1 data in the magnetosheath during the period 2001-2010, using an appropriate spatial superposition procedure, to produce magnetosheath flow distributions as a function of location in the magnetosheath relative to the IMF and other parameters. The results demonstrate that enhanced flows in the magnetosheath are expected at locations quasi-perpendicular to the IMF direction in the plane perpendicular to the Sun-Earth line; in other words, for the special case of a northward IMF, enhanced flows are observed on the dawn and dusk flanks of the magnetosphere, while much lower flows are observed above the poles. The largest flows are adjacent to the magnetopause. Using appropriate magnetopause crossing lists (for both high and low M A ), we also investigate the changes in magnetopause shape as a function of solar wind M A and IMF orientation. Comparing observed magnetopause crossings with predicted positions from an axisymmetric semi-empirical model, we statistically show that the magnetopause is generally circular during high M A , while is it elongated (albeit with moderate statistical significance) along the direction of the IMF during low M A . These findings are consistent with enhanced magnetic forces that prevail in the magnetosheath during low M A . The component of the magnetic forces parallel to the magnetopause produces the enhanced flows along and adjacent to the magnetopause, while the component normal to the magnetopause exerts an asymmetric pressure on the magnetopause that deforms it into an elongated shape.

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Comparative magnetospheres: lessons for Earth

Cited by 15 publications

References 40 publications

Aspects of global coherence of magnetospheric behavior

Aspects of global coherence of magnetospheric behavior

Altered solar wind‐magnetosphere interaction at low Mach numbers: Coronal mass ejections

Asymmetry of magnetosheath flows and magnetopause shape during low Alfvén Mach number solar wind

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