The magnetopause erosion and the magnetosheath magnetic field penetration into the dayside magnetosphere

The earthward displacement of the magnetopause observed during a southward IMF (or the magnetopause erosion) and its dependence on the solar wind plasma and magnetic field parameters is studied by investigating data of about 30 magnetopause crossings by the ISEE 1 and 2 spacecraft. It is shown that the magnetopause erosion may be explained by a depression of the magnetic field intensity in the dayside magnetosphere caused by the penetration of the magnetosheath magnetic field (component perpendicular to the reconnection line) into the magnetosphere. The penetration coefficient (the ratio of the intensity of the penetrated field to the intensity of the magnetosheath magnetic field) is estimated and found to equal approximately 1.     

The response of the Hermean magnetosphere to the interplanetary magnetic field

The interaction between the solar wind and Mercury is anticipated to be unique because of Mercury’s relatively weak intrinsic magnetic field and tenuous neutral exosphere. In this paper the role of the IMF in determining the structure of the Hermean magnetosphere is studied using a new self-consistent three-dimensional quasi-neutral hybrid model. A comparison between a pure northward and southward IMF shows that the general morphology of the magnetic field, the position and shape of the bow shock and the magnetopause as well as the density and velocity of the solar wind in the magnetosheath and in the magnetosphere are quite similar in these two IMF situations. A Parker spiral IMF case, instead, produces a magnetosphere with a substantial north–south asymmetric plasma and magnetic field configuration. In general, this study illustrates quantitatively the role of IMF when the solar wind interacts with a weakly magnetised planetary body.     

行星际磁场北向分量触发磁层扰动的可能性

本文用典型事件和统计分析论证了行星际磁场北向分量触发地磁扰动的可能性.给出了行星际电场E_y分量对磁层大尺度对流电场E_M的耦合系数.从耦合方程出发讨论了磁层对太阳风作用的响应,证明磁层不是起半波整流器作用,从而表明经典的重联理论应有所修改.      

太阳风向磁层输入电磁能量研究

利用全球磁流体力学（MHD）模拟结果,通过确立包含磁层顶的太阳风流线内边界来识别三维磁层顶位形,并以极尖区位置作为磁层顶日侧与夜侧的分界线,在此基础上定量研究了不同条件下穿过磁层顶向磁层内输入的电磁能量. 研究发现,磁层顶的能量传输与太阳风条件密切相关,磁重联是控制电磁能量传输的重要机制. 结果表明,当IMF（行星际磁场）南向时,极尖区后方的磁尾附近存在电磁能输入最大值,当IMF北向时,电磁能输入最大值发生在极尖区附近;南向IMF条件下,在IMF强度增大或太阳风密度增大时,磁层顶电磁能传输的电磁能量比北向IMF条件时增加更显著. 太阳风通过调节磁层顶面积间接影响到磁层顶能量传输大小. 研究还发现,北向IMF与南向IMF条件下穿过磁层顶的电磁能输入的比值范围约为10%～30%,此比值一定程度上反映了北、南方向IMF与地磁场磁重联效率的比值.      

Global MHD simulations for southward IMF: a pair of wings in the flanks

Global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations have shown that for southward interplanetary magnetic field nightside reconnection takes place only in a limited spatial scale in the cross-tail direction. Between the end of the nightside reconnection line and the flank magnetopause are regions of closed magnetic field lines which move relatively slowly tailward, compared with the magnetosheath flow on the far side and the jet flow produced by nightside reconnection on the side closer to the midnight. The magetosphere appears to have a pair of extended wings on the nightside. Further refinement of the simulations shows that the wings are not produced by the numerical effects. Similar features have been observed previously and also shown in different simulation models. The existence of the wings in the simulations indicates that the solar wind momentum is transferred to the closed magnetosphere if the simulations are relevant to reality.     

磁层顶低混杂漂移不稳定性及等离子体幔、磁层对流的形成机制

磁层顶低混杂漂移不稳定性的理论和观测使我们可以提出一个新的磁层对流驱动模式,为了解释磁层对流的形成、磁层顶厚度等一系列磁层现象,已经提出了三种磁层模式,Dunge提出互联模式,认为行星际磁场磁力线与地磁场磁力线在磁层顶前部相互联接起来,磁层顶为一旋转间断面,太阳风粒子可直接通过磁层顶进入磁层内,虽然这一     

Bow shock: Power aspects

It is clear that the primary energy source for magnetospheric processes is the solar wind, but the process of energy transfer from the solar wind into the magnetosphere, or rather, to convecting magnetospheric plasma, appears to be rather complicated. Bow shock is a powerful transformer of the solar wind kinetic energy into the gas dynamic and electromagnetic energy. A jump of the magnetic field tangential component at front crossing means that the front carries an electric current. The solar wind kinetic energy partly transforms to gas kinetic and electromagnetic energy during its passage through the bow shock front. The transition layer (magnetosheath) can use part of this energy for accelerating of plasma, but can conversely spend part its kinetic energy on the electric power generation, which afterwards may be used by the magnetosphere. Thereby, transition layer can be both consumer (sink) and generator (source) of electric power depending upon special conditions. The direction of the current behind the bow shock front depends on the sign of the IMF Bz-component. It is this electric current which sets convection of plasma in motion.     

行星际激波对地球磁层的压缩效应分析

2004 年11月9日WIND飞船探测到一个典型的行星际激波. 激波前行星际磁场为持续约50 min的弱南向磁场, 越过激波面, 磁场发生北向偏转且太阳风动压脉冲增强. 在此强动压脉冲增强结构作用下, 磁层被压缩至一个很小的区域. 激波作用于磁层时引起地球同步轨道 各区域高能粒子通量的响应, 但是不同磁地方时的高能粒子通量的响应不同, 表现出双模式扰动, 即在晨昏两侧各能段的电子和质子通量显著增强, 在子夜侧发生类似于亚暴的无色散粒子注入现象. 扰动从向阳面传输到背阳面, 向阳面粒子通量最先增强, 随后背阳面靠近晨昏两侧, 粒子通量开始增强, 最后子夜侧粒子通量表现出无色散高能粒子注入的特点. 另外, 在靠近正午侧, 质子通量先于电子通量发生响应, 在子夜侧电子通量则先于质子通量发生响应. 利用位于向阳面正午两侧的GOES-10 和 GOES-12卫星观测数据发现, 激波作用于磁层时靠近晨侧的磁场变化表现出简单压缩效应, 而靠近昏侧的磁场变化则显然不同, Bx分量减弱, Bz分量几乎减为零, 而By分量则显著增强. 此外, 位于近地磁尾低纬尾瓣区的TC-1卫星观测到激波触发的尾瓣SI现象.      

三维试验粒子轨道法在磁层粒子全球输运中的应用

根据磁层粒子动力学理论, 通过偶极磁场模型验证利用三维试验粒子轨道方法模拟近地球区(r < 8R_e)带电粒子运动特征的可靠性. 在此基础上, 以太阳风和磁层相互作用的全球MHD模拟结果为背景, 利用三维试验粒子轨道方法, 对非磁暴期间南向行星际磁场背景下太阳风离子注入磁层的情形进行数值模拟, 并对北向行星际磁场背景下太阳风离子注入极尖区以及内磁层的几种不同情形进行了单粒子模拟. 模拟结果反映了南向和北向行星际磁场离子向磁层的几种典型输入过程, 揭示出行星际磁场南向时太阳风粒子在磁层内密度分布的晨昏不对称性以及其在磁鞘和磁层内的大致分布, 并得出统计规律. 模拟结果与理论预测和观测结论相一致, 且通过数值模拟发现, 行星际磁场北向时靠近极尖区附近形成的非典型磁镜结构对于能量粒子经由极尖区注入环电流区域过程有重要的影响和作用.      

磁层顶对磁层磁场的影响

太阳风与地磁场相互作用形成的磁层顶对磁层内磁场有重要影响。本文假定地磁场为偶极子,太阳风为理想导体,在太阳风与磁层的边界上满足磁场法向分量为零的边界条件。采用最小二乘法求得磁层顶电流在磁层内产生的磁场的球谐系数。从计算结果可以看出磁层顶对磁层磁场的影响。结果表明,向阳面的磁场、中性点、极光区的位置与形状与实际观测比较接近;磁尾磁场与实际观测相差较远,原因是没有加上磁尾片电流。文中还给出了太阳风与地磁轴交不同角度时的磁层磁场的计算结果。      

Sun–Earth relation: Historical development and present status – A brief review

The Sun and Earth are intimately related. A few decades ago, it was assumed that the relationship was only through the incidence of solar visible and infrared radiation on the surface of the Earth. However, it was soon realized that many powerful solar radiations reached the top of the terrestrial atmosphere but got absorbed in the upper part of the atmosphere, causing significant changes in the terrestrial environment. In this review, various processes are described, first on the Sun where various solar structures evolve, later in the interplanetary space due to escaping solar wind, and further in the interaction of the solar wind with the Earth’s magnetic field, containing it in the magnetosphere and entering through the neutral point in the magnetotail. Resulting phenomena like auroras, ring current, etc., are described. Present status of solar and interplanetary environments and their terrestrial effects is briefly outlined.     

Geoeffectiveness of interplanetary shocks controlled by impact angles: A review

The high variability of the Sun’s magnetic field is responsible for the generation of perturbations that propagate throughout the heliosphere. Such disturbances often drive interplanetary shocks in front of their leading regions. Strong shocks transfer momentum and energy into the solar wind ahead of them which in turn enhance the solar wind interaction with magnetic fields in its way. Shocks then eventually strike the Earth’s magnetosphere and trigger a myriad of geomagnetic effects observed not only by spacecraft in space, but also by magnetometers on the ground. Recently, it has been revealed that shocks can show different geoeffectiveness depending closely on the angle of impact. Generally, frontal shocks are more geoeffective than inclined shocks, even if the former are comparatively weaker than the latter. This review is focused on results obtained from modeling and experimental efforts in the last 15?years. Some theoretical and observational background are also provided.     

Real-time global MHD simulation of the solar wind interaction with the earth’s magnetosphere

We have developed a real-time global MHD (magnetohydrodynamics) simulation of the solar wind interaction with the earth’s magnetosphere. By adopting the real-time solar wind parameters and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) observed routinely by the ACE (Advanced Composition Explorer) spacecraft, responses of the magnetosphere are calculated with MHD code. The simulation is carried out routinely on the super computer system at National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan. The visualized images of the magnetic field lines around the earth, pressure distribution on the meridian plane, and the conductivity of the polar ionosphere, can be referred to on the web site (http://www2.nict.go.jp/y/y223/simulation/realtime/).The results show that various magnetospheric activities are almost reproduced qualitatively. They also give us information how geomagnetic disturbances develop in the magnetosphere in relation with the ionosphere. From the viewpoint of space weather, the real-time simulation helps us to understand the whole image in the current condition of the magnetosphere. To evaluate the simulation results, we compare the AE indices derived from the simulation and observations. The simulation and observation agree well for quiet days and isolated substorm cases in general.     

27-day variation in solar-terrestrial parameters: Global characteristics and an origin based approach of the signals

The Earth and the near interplanetary medium are affected by the Sun in different ways. Those processes generated in the Sun that induce perturbations into the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere system are called geoeffective processes and show a wide range of temporal variations, like the 11-year solar cycle (long term variations), the variation of ～27?days (recurrent variations), solar storms enduring for some days, particle acceleration events lasting for some hours, etc.In this article, the periodicity of ～27?days associated with the solar synodic rotation period is investigated. The work is mainly focused on studying the resulting 27-day periodic signal in the magnetic activity, by the analysis of the horizontal component of the magnetic field registered on a set of 103 magnetic observatories distributed around the world. For this a new method to isolate the periodicity of interest has been developed consisting of two main steps: the first one consists of removing the linear trend corresponding to every calendar year from the data series, and the second one of removing from the resulting series a smoothed version of it obtained by applying a 30-day moving average. The result at the end of this process is a data series in which all the signal with periods larger than 30?days are canceled.The most important characteristics observed in the resulting signals are two main amplitude modulations: the first and most prominent related to the 11-year solar cycle and the second one with a semiannual pattern. In addition, the amplitude of the signal shows a dependence on the geomagnetic latitude of the observatory with a significant discontinuity at approx. ±60°.The processing scheme was also applied to other parameters that are widely used to characterize the energy transfer from the Sun to the Earth: F10.7 and Mg II indices and the ionospheric vertical total electron content (vTEC) were considered for radiative interactions; and the solar wind velocity for the non-radiative interactions between the solar wind and the magnetosphere. The 27-day signal obtained in the magnetic activity was compared with the signals found in the other parameters resulting in a series of cross-correlations curves with maximum correlation between 3 and 5?days of delays for the radiative and between 0 and 1?days of delay for the non-radiative parameters. This result supports the idea that the physical process responsible for the 27-day signal in the magnetic activity is related to the solar wind and not to the solar electromagnetic radiation.     

ICME期间磁暴的太阳风参数和极光沉降能量

基于1995-2004年ICME驱动的强烈磁暴(SA型)、强磁暴(SB型)和延迟型主相暴(SC型)三种磁暴类型,对1AU处太阳风动压、太阳风速度、行星际磁场、EK-L电场以及极光沉降能量进行时序叠加分析,并分别与-vBz耦合函数和Newell耦合函数进行对比.结果表明,三种磁暴在ICME到达前期的太阳风动压较稳定,背景太阳风、极光沉降能量、行星际磁场和磁层存在相对平静期. ICME到达前期SA型磁暴的背景太阳风速度、行星际磁场南向分量以及极光沉降能量的均值高于另外两种磁暴类型,这说明大型日冕物质抛射在ICME到达前就对行星际磁场、背景太阳风和HP产生了影响.磁暴急始后,SC型磁暴的EK-L电场斜率小,峰值延后且行星际磁场北向分量增强,这些都是磁暴主相延迟的表现,极光沉降能量随着行星际磁场转为南向而增加.     

Ionospheric storm due to solar Coronal mass ejection in September 2017 over the Brazilian and African longitudes

Coronal mass ejection (CME) occurs when there is an abrupt release of a large amount of solar plasma, and this cloud of plasma released by the Sun has an intrinsic magnetic field. In addition, CMEs often follow solar flares (SF). The CME cloud travels outward from the Sun to the interplanetary medium and eventually hits the Earth’s system. One of the most significant aspects of space weather is the ionospheric response due to SF or CME. The direction of the interplanetary magnetic field, solar wind speed, and the number of particles are relevant parameters of the CME when it hits the Earth’s system. A geomagnetic storm is most geo-efficient when the plasma cloud has an interplanetary magnetic field southward and it is accompanied by an increase in the solar wind speed and particle number density. We investigated the ionospheric response (F-region) in the Brazilian and African sectors during a geomagnetic storm event on September 07–10, 2017, using magnetometer and GPS-TEC networks data. Positive ionospheric disturbances are observed in the VTEC during the disturbed period (September 07–08, 2017) over the Brazilian and African sectors. Also, two latitudinal chains of GPS-TEC stations from the equatorial region to low latitudes in the East and West Brazilian sectors and another chain in the East African sector are used to investigate the storm time behavior of the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA). We noted that the EIA was disturbed in the American and African sectors during the main phase of the geomagnetic storm. Also, the Brazilian sector was more disturbed than the African sector.     

Plasma convection model and generation of longitudinal currents in the earth's magnetosphere

The aim of this paper is to investigate processes in the magnetosphere and in particular the problems of the interaction of the solar wind with the Earth's magnetic field to produce large-scale convection, electric fields and longitudinal currents in the magnetosphere. The investigation is carried out in the frame of magnetic hydrodynamics. The reason for such an approach can be found in /1/. When calculating the transfer coefficients, the Böhm approximation is used, i.e. it is considered that the plasma in the near-equatorial part of the magnetosphere (quasiplanar geometry is used in the problem for simplification) is sufficiently turbulent that the condition ωτ ≈ 1 is valid (ω is the Larmor frequency of electrons, τ is effective time between two Quasi-collisions). The main subjects of investigation in this paper are the input near the equatorial boundary layer and the plasma layer of the magnetosphere tail.     

The accuracy of present models of the high altitude polar magnetosphere

The Polar satellite has explored the high-latitude, high-latitude magnetosphere out to 9 Earth radii (Re). The magnetic field data returned from this mission can be used both to provide data for new empirical models and to test existing models. Tests include comparing the observed location of the polar cusp with its position in the empirical models and comparing the strength of the magnetic field in the surrounding region. Near the cusp the magnetosphere is quite sensitive to solar wind conditions. In particular the energy density of the cusp plasma depends on the pressure of the solar wind applied to the interface of the cusp and the sheath. The applied pressure in turn depends on the shape of the magnetopause and the orientation of that interface, both controlled by the direction of the interplanetary magnetic field. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models provide a coarse picture of the magnetosphere at high latitudes. While generally quite realistic, these too require testing against observations because even the MHD models must make some simplifying assumptions.     

地球磁场对太阳风扰动响应的研究

分别对行星际激波、太阳风动压增大事件和减小事件的地球磁场响应进行了比较. 分析结果表明, 同步轨道磁场对太阳风扰动在向阳面产生较强的正响应, 在背阳面 响应较弱且有时会出现负响应, 地磁指数SYM-H对太阳风扰动的响应为正响应. 同时还得出, 向阳侧同步轨道磁场响应幅度d Bz与地磁指数响应幅度d SYM-H、上下游动压均方差均具有较好的相关性. 地磁指数响应幅度与同步轨道磁场响应幅度相关关系在激波和动压增大事件中具有一致性, 动压减小事件出 现明显差异, 这说明激波和动压增大事件在影响地球磁场方面具有某种共性.      

Unusually strong magnetic fields in Titan’s ionosphere: T42 case study

Observations of unusually large magnetic fields in the ionosphere indicate periods of maximum stress on Titan’s ionosphere and potentially of the strongest loss rates of ionospheric plasma. During Titan flyby T42, the observed magnetic field attained a maximum value of 37 nT between an altitude of 1200 and 1600 km, about 20 nT stronger than on any other Titan pass and close to five times greater in magnetic pressure. The strong fields occurred near the corotation-flow terminator rather than at the sub-flow point, suggesting that the flow which magnetized the ionosphere was from a direction far from corotation and possibly towards Saturn. Extrapolation of solar wind plasma conditions from Earth to Saturn using the University of Michigan MHD code predicts an enhanced solar wind dynamic pressure at Saturn close to this time. Cassini’s earlier exits from Saturn’s magnetosphere support this prediction because the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer instrument saw a magnetopause crossing three hours before the strong field observation. Thus it appears that Titan’s ionosphere was magnetized when the enhanced solar wind dynamic pressure compressed the Saturnian magnetosphere, and perhaps the magnetosheath magnetic field, against Titan. The solar wind pressure then decreased, leaving a strong fossil field in the ionosphere. When observed, this strong magnetic flux tube had begun to twist, further enhancing its strength.