Local and Non-local Plasma Transfer Processes at the Dayside Magnetosphere

University Of California-San Diego, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

This work will investigate the details of how the plasma transported by the solar wind interacts with the plasma inside the magnetosphere near the dayside magnetopause. The study will use semi-global, three-dimensional hybrid simulations in which the electrons are treated using a fluid approximation, but the ions are treated using a kinetic particle description. The 3-D simulations will provide a study of the magnetopause with more realistic boundaries than have been studied in the past. Shear flow, curvature of the boundary, and coupling of boundaries and the motion of boundaries will all be included. The regions of study will include the bow shock, the magnetosheath and the magnetopause.