Тип публикации: статья из журнала
Год издания: 2012
Идентификатор DOI: 10.1029/2011GL050209
Ключевые слова: Mach number, Magnetosphere, Solar wind, Asymptotic values, Elastic strings, Equatorial planes, Field lines, Higher latitudes, Interplanetary magnetic fields, Magnetic field line, Magnetosheath flow, Semi-analytical, Solar wind speed, Tension force, Two channel, Velocity profiles, Magnetic fields, latitudinal gradient, magnetic field, magnetopause, magnetotail, tension, velocity profile, wind velocity
Аннотация: In previous work we used a semi-analytical treatment to describe accelerated magnetosheath flows caused by the draping of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) lines around the magnetosphere. Here, we use the same approach, i.e., modeling the magnetic field lines as elastic strings, to examine how the magnetic tension force, one of tПоказать полностьюhe two agents responsible for producing these flows, varies along field lines away from the equatorial plane. The bend in the field line caused by the draping mechanism propagates as two oppositely-directed waves to higher latitudes. For a due northward IMF - the case we consider here - these propagate symmetrically north/south of the equatorial plane. As a result, a two-peaked latitude velocity profile develops as we go further downtail and the velocity peaks migrate along the magnetic field line to higher latitudes. We examine this velocity-profile for two Alfven Mach numbers (M-A = 8 and 3), representative of conditions in the solar wind at 1 AU ("normal" solar wind and solar transients). Qualitatively, the picture is the same but quantitatively there are important differences: (i) the flows reach higher values for the lower M-A (maximum V/V-SW = 1.6) than for the higher M-A (V/V-SW = 1.3); (ii) asymptotic values are reached farther downstream of the dawn-dusk terminator for the lower M-A (similar to-50 R-E vs -15 R-E); (iii) For the lower M-A the highest speeds are reached away from the equatorial plane. We predict two channels of fast magnetosheath flow next to the magnetopause at off-equatorial latitudes that exceed the solar wind speed. Citation: Erkaev, N. V., C. J. Farrugia, A. V. Mezentsev, R. B. Torbert, and H. K. Biernat (2012), Accelerated magnetosheath flows caused by IMF draping: Dependence on latitude, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L01103, doi:10.1029/2011GL050209.
Журнал: GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
Выпуск журнала: Vol. 39
ISSN журнала: 00948276
Место издания: WASHINGTON
Издатель: AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION