When the stream of plasma emitted from the Sun (the solar wind)
encounters Earth's magnetic field, it slows down and flows around
it, leaving behind a cavity, the magnetosphere. The magnetopause is
the surface that separates the solar wind on the outside from the
Earth's magnetic field on the inside. Because the solar wind moves
at supersonic speed, a bow shock must form ahead of the
magnetopause that acts to slow the solar wind to subsonic speeds.
Magnetopause, bow shock and their environs are rich in exciting
processes in collisionless plasmas, such as shock formation,
magnetic reconnection, particle acceleration and wave-particle
interactions. They are interesting in their own right, as part of
Earth's environment, but also because they are prototypes of
similar structures and phenomena that are ubiquitous in the
universe, having the unique advantage that they are accessible to
in situ measurements. The boundaries of the magnetosphere have been
the target of direct in-situ measurements since the beginning of
the space age. But because they are constantly moving, changing
their orientation, and undergoing evolution, the interpretation of
single-spacecraft measurements has been plagued by the fundamental
inability of a single observer to unambiguously distinguish spatial
from temporal changes. The boundaries are thus a prime target for
the study by a closely spaced fleet of spacecraft. Thus the Cluster
mission, with its four spacecraft in a three-dimensional
configuration at variable separation distances, represents a giant
step forward. This 20th volume of the ISSI Space Science Series
represents the first synthesis of the exciting new results obtained
in the first few years of the Cluster mission.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!