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Journal article
Solar Wind Discontinuity Transformation at the Bow Shock
The Astrophysical journal, v 913(2), p142
01 Jun 2021
Abstract
Solar wind plasma at the Earth's orbit carries transient magnetic field structures including discontinuities. Their interaction with the Earth's bow shock can significantly alter discontinuity configuration and stability. We investigate such an interaction for the most widespread type of solar wind discontinuities-rotational discontinuities (RDs). We use a set of in situ multispacecraft observations and perform kinetic hybrid simulations. We focus on the RD current density amplification that may lead to magnetic reconnection. We show that the amplification can be as high as two orders of magnitude and is mainly governed by three processes: the transverse magnetic field compression, global thinning of RD, and interaction of RD with low-frequency electromagnetic waves in the magnetosheath, downstream of the bow shock. The first factor is found to substantially exceed simple hydrodynamic predictions in most observed cases, the second effect has a rather moderate impact, while the third causes strong oscillations of the current density. We show that the presence of accelerated particles in the bow shock precursor highly boosts the current density amplification, making the postshock magnetic reconnection more probable. The pool of accelerated particles strongly affects the interaction of RDs with the Earth's bow shock, as it is demonstrated by observational data analysis and hybrid code simulations. Thus, shocks should be distinguished not by the inclination angle, but rather by the presence of foreshocks populated with shock reflected particles. Plasma processes in the RD-shock interaction affect magnetic structures and turbulence in the Earth's magnetosphere and may have implications for the processes in astrophysics.
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Details
- Title
- Solar Wind Discontinuity Transformation at the Bow Shock
- Creators
- Julia A. Kropotina - Ioffe InstituteLee Webster - Nyheim Plasma Institute, Drexel University, Camden, NJ, USAAnton V. Artemyev - University of California, Los AngelesAndrei M. Bykov - Ioffe Inst, St Petersburg 194021, RussiaDmitri L. Vainchtein - Space Research InstituteIvan Y. Vasko - Space Research Institute
- Publication Details
- The Astrophysical journal, v 913(2), p142
- Publisher
- IOP Publishing Ltd
- Number of pages
- 18
- Grant note
- 21-72-20020 / RSF grant; Russian Science Foundation (RSF) 50 OC 0302 / German Aerospace Center (DLR); Helmholtz Association; German Aerospace Centre (DLR) German Ministry for Economy and Technology NAS5-02099; 80NSSC20K1788; 80NSSC20K1781 / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- C. and J. Nyheim Plasma Institute
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000657960800001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85108061631
- Other Identifier
- 991019169535204721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Astronomy & Astrophysics