Magnetosheath jets
The goal of the project is to improve our understanding of localized (in time and space) increases of plasma dynamic pressure in the magnetosheath, and their effects on the Earth space environment.
When the solar wind encounters Earths magnetic field, it changes from supersonic to subsonic flow at a bow shock. Behind the bow shock the braked solar wind forms the magnetosehath, a region with compressed and heated plasma. Most of the time this flow is relatively smooth and uniform, but at times small-scale plasma jets with high velocity and density are formed. These jets may affect Earth's magnetosphere in several was; e.g. inducing surface waves and injecting soalr wind plasma into the magnetosphere. We still do not fully understand how these magnetosheath jets are formed, how common they are, and when they appear. By using data from the MMS and Cluster satellites, we can study the properties of the jets statistically, using the large databases of plasma measurements from these missions. The results from these studies are an important step in understanding an important mode of solar wind-magnetosphere interaction at Earth, and may also act as a basis for understanding how of similar phenomena at other planets.
Funding agency: SNSA 90/17
Team
