Premium
Probing IMF using nanodust measurements from inside Saturn's magnetosphere
Author(s) -
Hsu H.W.,
Hansen K. C.,
Horányi M.,
Kempf S.,
Mocker A.,
MoragasKlostermeyer G.,
Postberg F.,
Srama R.,
Zieger B.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/grl.50604
Subject(s) - magnetosphere , solar wind , physics , saturn , magnetosphere of saturn , interplanetary spaceflight , magnetosphere of jupiter , interplanetary magnetic field , geophysics , magnetopause , polar wind , interplanetary medium , astronomy , computational physics , magnetic field , planet , quantum mechanics
We present a new concept of monitoring the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) by using in situ measurements of nanodust stream particles in Saturn's magnetosphere. We show that the nanodust detection pattern obtained inside the magnetosphere resembles those observed in interplanetary space and is associated with the solar wind compression regions. Our dust dynamics model reproduces the observed nanodust dynamical properties as well as the detection pattern, suggesting that the ejected stream particles can reenter Saturn's magnetosphere at certain occasions due to the dynamical influence from the time‐varying IMF. This method provides information on the IMF direction and a rough estimation on the solar wind compression arrival time at Saturn. Such information can be useful for studies related to the solar wind‐magnetosphere interactions, especially when the solar wind parameters are not directly available.