Solar wind entry into the high-latitude terrestrial magnetosphere during geomagnetically quiet times

Q.Q. Shi (), Q.-G. Zong, S.Y. Fu, M.W. Dunlop, Z.Y. Pu, G.K. Parks, Y. Wei, W.H. Li, H. Zhang, M. Nowada, Y.B. Wang, W.J. Sun, Tim Xiao, H. Reme, C. Carr, A.N. Fazakerley and E. Lucek
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Q.Q. Shi: Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, School of Space Science and Physics, Shandong University at Weihai
Q.-G. Zong: School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University
S.Y. Fu: School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University
M.W. Dunlop: SSTD, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Z.Y. Pu: School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University
G.K. Parks: Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California
Y. Wei: School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University
W.H. Li: Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire
H. Zhang: University of Alaska Fairbanks
M. Nowada: School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University
Y.B. Wang: School of Arts, Shandong University at Weihai
W.J. Sun: Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, School of Space Science and Physics, Shandong University at Weihai
H. Reme: University of Toulouse, UPS-OMP, IRAP
C. Carr: Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College
A.N. Fazakerley: Mullard Space Science Laboratory
E. Lucek: Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College

Nature Communications, 2013, vol. 4, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract An understanding of the transport of solar wind plasma into and throughout the terrestrial magnetosphere is crucial to space science and space weather. For non-active periods, there is little agreement on where and how plasma entry into the magnetosphere might occur. Moreover, behaviour in the high-latitude region behind the magnetospheric cusps, for example, the lobes, is poorly understood, partly because of lack of coverage by previous space missions. Here, using Cluster multi-spacecraft data, we report an unexpected discovery of regions of solar wind entry into the Earth’s high-latitude magnetosphere tailward of the cusps. From statistical observational facts and simulation analysis we suggest that these regions are most likely produced by magnetic reconnection at the high-latitude magnetopause, although other processes, such as impulsive penetration, may not be ruled out entirely. We find that the degree of entry can be significant for solar wind transport into the magnetosphere during such quiet times.

Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2476

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