Kelvin–Helmholtz Instability at Dayside Magnetopause, View from Local 3-D MHD Simulations

Abstract:

During the past decade, Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) modes have gained increasing attention for the interaction between the magnetosphere and the solar wind particularly for northward IMF. Recently, several studies showed that the KH mode may also operate near the equatorial plane under southward IMF conditions as well as at high latitudes for IMF mostly along the GSE y direction. It was also demonstrated that three-dimensional aspects are of critical importance for this process. This presentation will particularly address the mass transport rate and the amount of open magnetic flux created by reconnection driven by nonlinear KH modes as a function of IMF orientation. We will also discuss the plausible in situ and ground auroral observation signatures of the interaction between the KH waves and magnetic reconnection.