Evidence of the Alfven Transition Layer in the cusp region: Global 3D PIC simulation of the solar wind -Earth magnetosphere interaction

D. Cai (1) , Bertrand Lembège (2)

1 Université de Tsukuba = University of Tsukuba
2 HELIOS - LATMOS

Using 3D global Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations with the northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), we show the Alfven transition layer (ATL) that distinguishes the stagnant exterior cusp (SEC) from the magnetosheath. We show ATL extends from SEC to dayside magnetosheath both duskward and dawnward, asymmetrically. We discuss how ATL characterize the magnetosphere, which is strongly associated with the complicated ion and electron fluxes mainly due to the curvature drifts.

Domains: Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics [physics.ao-ph]

D. Cai, Bertrand Lembège. Evidence of the Alfven Transition Layer in the cusp region: Global 3D PIC simulation of the solar wind -Earth magnetosphere interaction. URSI GASS 2021. Proceedings, Aug 2021, Rome, Italy. 3p. ⟨insu-03597685⟩