Open AccessCompressional MHD wave transport in the magnetosphere 1. Reflection and transmission across the plasmapause
Author(s) -
Lee DongHun,
Hudson Mary K.,
Kim Kihong,
Lysak Robert L.,
Song Yan
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2002ja009239
Subject(s) - plasmasphere , physics , magnetosphere , magnetohydrodynamics , magnetohydrodynamic drive , longitudinal wave , dissipation , reflection (computer programming) , geophysics , wave propagation , dissipative system , computational physics , mechanics , plasma , optics , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics , computer science , programming language
Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave properties in inhomogeneous plasmas such as the magnetosphere are complicated by existence of local cutoff, coupling, and dissipation. We study the transport of MHD waves when compressional waves are assumed to propagate into the plasmasphere from the outer magnetosphere. By assuming a region of the Alfven speed crest, which approximates the plasmapause region, we investigate how the initial compressional MHD wave energy is reflected, absorbed, and delivered across the plasmapause. Our results present the exact reflection, transmission, and absorption coefficients without any theoretical approximations for given frequencies and wave numbers. It is found that relatively strong absorption of compressional waves occurs where the frequency ranges from the local resonant condition to the cutoff condition at the maximum of the Alfven speed crest. We compare and discuss the behavior of compressional waves in our results with previous observations.