Open AccessBow shock and magnetopause contributions to the magnetospheric current system: Hints from the Cluster observations
Author(s) -
Tang B. B.,
Wang C.,
Guo X. C.
Publication year - 2012
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 - 10.1029/2011ja016681
Subject(s) - magnetopause , bow shock (aerodynamics) , physics , interplanetary magnetic field , geophysics , magnetosheath , magnetosphere , solar wind , magnetohydrodynamics , current (fluid) , shock (circulatory) , magnetohydrodynamic drive , classification of discontinuities , current sheet , shock wave , magnetic field , mechanics , medicine , mathematical analysis , mathematics , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
We perform a statistical study of the surface current at the high‐latitude magnetopause (HLMP) and the bow shock under different southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions, taking advantage of the crossing events of these discontinuities by the Cluster spacecraft. With an enhancement of southward IMF B Z , the surface current at HLMP reduces, while increasing at the bow shock. Since the amount of the magnetospheric current increases with the increase of southward IMF B Z , a synthesis analysis based on the Cluster observations suggests the bow shock and HLMP together contribute to the magnetospheric current system, and the bow shock would become an important current generator when the southward IMF B Z becoming large. This scenario accords with the previous global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations.