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Shock Wave Interaction with the Magnetopause

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Abstract

The magnetopause is in continuous motion and shock waves and impulsive acceleration events can occur. As an example, we show that the interaction of an interplanetary shock with the bow shock can generate a shock wave that after passing through the magnetosheath can interact with the magnetopause. In fluid dynamics, when a shock wave encounters a fluid discontinuity, the interface may become unstable and form bubbles and spikes. We consider this Richtmyer-Meshkov instability in magnetohydrodynamics. At the dayside magnetopause, the instability tends to be stabilized by the magnetic field. However, the shock wave interaction can initiate magnetic field reconnection for the southward IMF, which may be important in strong interplanetary shock events.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA

    C.C. Wu

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  1. C.C. Wu
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Wu, C. Shock Wave Interaction with the Magnetopause. Space Science Reviews 107, 219–226 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025588125794

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025588125794

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