Kinetic Alfvén Waves and Plasma Transport at the Magnetopause

Details Kinetic Alfvén Waves and Plasma Transport at the Magnetopause Kinetic Alfvén Waves and Plasma Transport at the Magnetopause

May 2001

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001agusm..sm42d06j&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2001, abstract #SM42D-06

Physics

2724 Magnetopause, Cusp, And Boundary Layers, 2728 Magnetosheath, 2784 Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions, 7859 Transport Processes, 7867 Wave/Particle Interactions

Scientific paper

At the magnetopause, large amplitude, low frequency (ULF), transverse MHD waves are nearly always observed. These waves likely result from mode conversion of compressional MHD waves observed in the magnetosheath to kinetic Alfvén waves at the magnetopause where there is a steep gradient in the Alfvén velocity [Johnson and Cheng, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 1423, (1997)]. We discuss theoretical predictions of kinetic Alfvén wave structure such as changes in wave polarization, amplitude, Poynting flux, and wave power spectrum that should be observed during satellite crossings of the magnetopause. We also discuss the dependence of these observables on magnetic field rotation across the magnetopause. Based on a study from ISEE1, ISEE2 and WIND data, we show that observations are in qualitative agreement with these theoretical predictions [Johnson and Cheng, Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 227, (2001)]. Because mode converted kinetic Alfvén waves readily decouple particles from the magnetic field lines, efficient transport (D ~ 109 m2/s) can occur. Moreover, if the wave amplitude is sufficiently large (Bwave/B0 > 0.2) stochastic particle transport occurs. This wave induced transport can lead to significant particle entry into the boundary layers and regions of closed magnetic field lines.

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