THEMIS Observations of the Occurrence of Magnetic Reconnection at the Dayside Magnetopause during Solar Minimum 23: Implications for low rate of Solar Wind Entry into the Magnetosphere

Details THEMIS Observations of the Occurrence of Magnetic Reconnection at the Dayside Magnetopause during Solar Minimum 23: Implications for low rate of Solar Wind Entry into the Magnetosphere THEMIS Observations of the Occurrence of Magnetic Reconnection at the Dayside Magnetopause during Solar Minimum 23: Implications for low rate of Solar Wind Entry into the Magnetosphere

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufmsh14a..08p&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #SH14A-08

Physics

Plasma Physics

[2162] Interplanetary Physics / Solar Cycle Variations, [2724] Magnetospheric Physics / Magnetopause And Boundary Layers, [7835] Space Plasma Physics / Magnetic Reconnection

Scientific paper

We have performed a survey of the occurrence of reconnection at the dayside magnetopause in 2008. Reconnection signatures were absent in more than 50% of the high magnetic shear magnetopause crossings where reconnection might be expected. The key controlling factor of whether reconnection occurs or not appears to be the plasma beta in the magnetosheath adjacent to the magnetopause, with the beta being substantially larger for non-reconnection events. The average magnetosheath beta was significantly larger in 2008 than in non-solar minimum years. We attribute some of the unusually high magnetosheath beta in 2008 to the low magnetic field strength in the solar wind during this solar minimum. Our finding suggests a lower rate of solar wind mass and energy transfer into the magnetosphere via reconnection during this particular solar minimum.

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