Influence of the curvature and thickness of the magnetopause on its instability

Irina L. Arshukova; Nikolai V. Erkaev

doi:10.1117/12.458489

28 February 2002 Influence of the curvature and thickness of the magnetopause on its instability

Irina L. Arshukova, Nikolai V. Erkaev

Proceedings Volume 4678, Eighth International Symposium on Atmospheric and Ocean Optics: Atmospheric Physics; (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.458489
Event: Eighth Joint International Symposium on Atmospheric and Ocean Optics: Atmospheric Physics, 2001, Irkutsk, Russian Federation

Abstract

Magnetospheric boundary (magnetopause) flowed by solar wind plasma is considered to be a thin layer with constant thickness and curvature radius. The plasma parameters and the magnetic field are assumed to obey the ideal incompressible magnetohydrodynamics. A Fourier analysis is used to calculate small perturbations of the magnetic field and plasma parameters near the magnetopause in a linear approximation. The instability growth rate is obtained as a function of the magnetopause thickness, curvature radius, velocity and magnetic field vectors given on the both sides of the magnetopause. The resulting instability is a combination of interchange and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities of the magnetospheric boundary. For a fixed plasma velocity, the instability is the strongest in a case of antiparallel magnetic fields at the magnetopause. The instability decreases if the magnetosheath magnetic field deviates from the direction antiparallel to the geomagnetic field. Instability growth rate is an increasing function of plasma velocity component perpendicular to the magnetic field. On the other hand, plasma flow along the magnetic field diminishes the instability growth rate. For zero plasma velocity, the instability growth rate is positive only within a relatively small angle interval for the deviation of the magnetosheath magnetic field from the antigeomagnetic direction. This angle interval depends on the curvature radius and inner structure of the magnetopause.

Citation Download Citation

Irina L. Arshukova and Nikolai V. Erkaev "Influence of the curvature and thickness of the magnetopause on its instability", Proc. SPIE 4678, Eighth International Symposium on Atmospheric and Ocean Optics: Atmospheric Physics, (28 February 2002); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.458489

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available

Members: $17.00

Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART

PROCEEDINGS
9 PAGES

DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

GET CITATION

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Get copyright permission Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace

KEYWORDS

Magnetism

Plasma

Magnetosphere

Differential equations

Solar processes

Atmospheric plasma

Carbon dioxide

Show All Keywords

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years