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Time-dependent solar wind-dayside magnetosphere interaction under constant solar wind dynamic pressure conditions

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Studies of the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere are a fundamental concern in space physics, and form the central theme of this project. The steady-state features of solar wind-magnetosphere coupling are now rather well understood. But in reality the solar wind parameters vary over a wide range, and this in turn causes a non-steady character of interaction which is still understood rather poor. To improve our knowledge of this important problem, the main goal of this project is to develop a time-dependent MHD description of the solar wind interaction with the dayside magnetosphere. To make this large problem manageable, it will be split on the basis of a set of key physical processes and phenomena which have been identified: the structure of the magneto-sheath, which includes the pile-up of magnetic field in front of the magnetopause, reconnection, which is the dominant coupling process at the magnetopause, the inward motion or "erosion" of the magnetopause, the generation of Region 1 and 2 field-aligned currents, other ionospheric current systems. Each of these topics will be treated and modelled separately, but the necessary feedback mechanisms to join these pieces together will be included, based on a time-dependent analysis.
To simplify the theoretical analysis, the solar wind dynamic pressure is assumed to be constant. Under this condition the key parameter controlling the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling is the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). From a mathematical point of view the constant pressure condition guarantees the applicability of the MHD boundary-layer approach, which in turn simplifies the 3D time-dependent problem of solar wind-magnetosphere coupling to that of solving a set of 2D string-type equations for the magnetic flux tubes. In the final analysis we expect to obtain a self-consistent description of the unsteady structure of the magneto-sheath, burst reconnection at the magnetopause, generation of field-aligned currents, erosion of the magnetopause, evolution of the ionospheric current systems, as well as the mass, energy and momentum transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere in response to a time-varying IMF. The models developed as part of this project should lead to a better and more efficient exploitation of the large amount of data available, and comparisons will help to guide directions for future research.
The participants in this proposal are from Austria, Russia, Germany and the UK and have enjoyed many years working together on the theory and data analysis. The research skills, strengths and interests of the participants are complementary, and are all necessary to carry out the piecewise approach outlined in this proposal.

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Space Research Institute
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Schmiedlstrasse 6
8042 Graz
Österreich

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Beteiligte (4)