Magnetosphere-ionosphere responses to foreshock and magnetosheath transients

Yukitoshi Nishimura, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States, Boyi Wang, University of California, Los Angeles, Departments of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Los Angeles, United States, Ying Zou, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, United States, Eric Donovan, University of Calgary, Physics and Astronomy, Calgary, AB, Canada, Vassilis Angelopoulos, University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, Los Angeles, United States, Joran Moen, University Centre in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Norway, Lasse Boy Novock Clausen, University of Oslo, Department of Physics, Oslo, Norway and Tsutomu Nagatsuma, NICT National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract:
In addition to large-scale solar-wind driving, solar wind-dayside magnetosphere-ionosphere interaction often occur in a localized and transient manner. Interaction between the solar wind and bow shock create foreshock and magnetosheath transients, and such disturbances could modify responses of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system that are not predicted by solar wind measurements far upstream. Ground-based observations have an advantage of revealing two-dimensional structures and evolution of magnetosphere-ionosphere responses that are difficult to obtain from a limited number of in-situ observations. Optical imaging has 2-d coverage and high spatial and temporal resolution, and thus offers opportunities to identify and trace magnetosphere-ionosphere responses more uniquely than by other means of observations. We present case studies of dayside satellite-ground conjunctions to further address structure and evolution of solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere interaction. Particular interests are given to magnetosphere-ionosphere responses to foreshock transients, magnetosheath high-speed jets, and magnetosheath magnetic field excursions. We discuss how magnetopause reconnection, aurora and ionosphere flows respond to such upstream transients.