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Article
Solar Wind Energy Input to the Magnetosheath and at the Magnetopause
Geophysical Research Letters
  • T. I. Pulkkinen, Aalto University
  • A. P. Dimmock, Aalto University
  • A. Osmane, Aalto University
  • K. Nykyri, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Submitting Campus
Daytona Beach
Department
Physical Sciences
Document Type
Article
Publication/Presentation Date
6-28-2015
Abstract/Description

Using Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions During Substorms observations, we show that the efficiency of the energy entry through the magnetopause as measured by the Poynting vector normal component depends on the combination of the solar wind speed and the southward component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF): Most efficient energy transfer occurs when the IMF BZ is only moderately negative, and the solar wind speed is high. This means that for the same level of solar wind driver parameters (electric field, epsilon, or other), different combinations of V and BZ will produce different driving at the magnetopause. The effect is strongest for low to moderate driving conditions, while the influence is smaller for the intense space weather events.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL064226
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
Grant or Award Name
Academy of Finland grant 267073/2013
Citation Information
Pulkkinen, T. I., A. P. Dimmock, A. Osmane, and K. Nykyri (2015), Solar wind energy input to the magnetosheath and at the magnetopause, Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, 4723–4730, doi:10.1002/2015GL064226