Open AccessTwo types of tangential magnetopause current sheets: Cluster observations and theory
Author(s) -
Panov E. V.,
Artemyev A. V.,
Nakamura R.,
Baumjohann W.
Publication year - 2011
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 - 10.1029/2011ja016860
Subject(s) - magnetopause , current sheet , current (fluid) , physics , cluster (spacecraft) , magnetic field , spacecraft , plasma sheet , field (mathematics) , mechanics , classical mechanics , geophysics , computational physics , magnetosphere , magnetohydrodynamics , computer science , mathematics , thermodynamics , astronomy , quantum mechanics , pure mathematics , programming language
Early magnetopause observations revealed that the magnetic field can rotate across tangential current sheets in the form of C‐and S‐shaped hodograms. We use the four‐spacecraft magnetopause crossings by Cluster in order to study the structure of the C‐ and S‐sheets. We show that both current sheets can be described by analytical equilibria. We employ a force‐free current sheet equilibrium for description of the C‐sheet and develop a new equilibrium to describe the S‐sheet. We suggest that both equilibria be used for setting up initial conditions in the next generation of current sheet simulations.