Bow Shock-Magnetopause Coupling Processes as a Function of Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) Orientation

该项目将研究地球磁层与太阳风之间的物理过程。该项目将具体讨论前震区域、弓激波本身以及位于弓激波和磁层顶之间的磁鞘区域的过程。其目的是了解这些过程作为行星际磁场(IMF)取向的函数。国际货币基金组织的方向决定了前震的位置、日侧磁鞘中极低频湍流的性质和性质以及磁层顶传输过程的性质，例如磁重联的位置或开尔文-亥姆霍兹(K-H)不稳定性的存在或不存在。另一个重要因素将是了解太阳风不连续如何与前震和弓形激波相互作用，以及不连续如何通过磁鞘传播并影响磁层。该项目将主要使用全球混合模拟(动能离子、流体电子)来检查所涉及的物理过程的细节。模拟结果将与星团和THEMIS等飞行任务的航天器数据以及全天成像仪和磁力计的地面观测数据进行比较。拟议的工作包括参加恩布里·里德尔航空大学和墨西哥国立自治大学空间物理学专业的本科生和研究生，他们将学习理论和建模，并将致力于比较模拟和航天器数据。拟议研究的结果将在科学会议上公布，并在同行评议的科学文献中发表。为这项研究处理的所有航天器数据将向社区提供。

This project will examine the physical processes the couple Earth's magnetosphere to the solar wind. The project will specifically address the processes in the foreshock region, the bow shock itself, and the magnetosheath region that lies between the bow shock and the magnetopause. The objective is to understand these processes as a function of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation. The direction of IMF determines the position of the foreshock, properties and the nature of ULF turbulence in the dayside magnetosheath and the nature of transport processes at the magnetopause such as locations of magnetic reconnection or presence or absence of the Kelvin-Helmholtz (K-H) instability. Another important factor will be to understand how solar wind discontinuities interact with the foreshock and bow shock and how the discontinuities propagate through the magnetosheath and impact the magnetopause.The project will primarily use global hybrid simulations (kinetic ions, fluid electrons) to examine the details of the physical processes involved. Results from the simulations will be compared with spacecraft data from missions such as Cluster and THEMIS as well as ground-based observations from all-sky imagers and magnetometers. The proposed work includes participation of undergraduate and graduate students in space physics at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and the National Autonomous University of Mexico who will learn about theory and modeling and will work on comparing simulation and spacecraft data. The results of the proposed studies will be presented at scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed scientific literature. All the spacecraft data processed for this study will be made available to the community.