The solar wind impact on the Earth’s magnetosphere determines the magnetosphere state and development of magnetospheric disturbances (magnetic storms and substorms), which strongly affect all technical aspects of human activity. That is why the space weather forecasting (and nowcasting) is regarded as very important scientific and applied problem. At present the real space weather forecasting is based on measurements of the geoeffective solar wind parameters (solar wind velocity Vsw and interplanetary magnetic field IMF) in the Lagrange point L1, at distance of ~1.5 millions far upstream of the Earth, where the solar and terrestrial gravity forces are counterbalanced. Data of these measurements, reduced to Earth (https://omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/), should provide information on the space weather changes with about 20-50 minutes in advance of the real contact of solar wind with magnetosphere, the time of contact being dependent on solar wind velocity. In so doing, the presumption is made that the solar wind, observed in the Lagrange point, always encounters the magnetosphere, the solar wind characteristics being unchanged on the way from the L1 point to the magnetopause.
Author(s) Details:
A. Troshichev
Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, Russia.
Recent Global Research Developments in The Impact of Solar Wind on Earth’s Magnetosphere and Its Importance for Space Weather Forecasting
1. Model Discrepancies in Earth’s Magnetic Field Models:
- A study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan analyzed differences between observations from the Swarm mission’s low-Earth orbit satellites and the thirteenth generation of the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF-13), an Earth magnetic field model.
- The research focused on low to moderate geomagnetic conditions (which cover 98.1% of the time between 2014 and 2020).
- Key findings:
- Fluctuations in Earth’s magnetic field, caused by daily changes in solar wind structure and intermittent solar storms, impact the use of geomagnetic field models.
- Model discrepancies are driven not only by space weather activity levels but also by modeling errors.
- Understanding these differences is crucial for satellite operation and research on the physics of Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere.
- Model uncertainty is highest in the north and south polar regions, with asymmetry between these regions being a major factor [1].
2. Emergent Phenomena in Earth’s Magnetosphere:
- Beyond geomagnetic activity, various forms of magnetospheric activity exist.
- Researchers have explored emergent phenomena within Earth’s magnetosphere, shedding light on its complex behavior [2].
3. Waves in Earth’s Magnetosphere:
- Scientists have investigated waves that travel through the magnetosphere, deepening our understanding of this electrically charged environment.
- This research not only enhances our knowledge of Earth’s magnetosphere but also provides insights into studying similar regions around other planets in the galaxy [3].
4. Laboratory Study of Smaller Magnetospheres:
- A recent method allows scientists to study smaller magnetospheres (sometimes just millimeters thick) in the laboratory.
- This advancement opens up new possibilities for understanding magnetospheric behavior and interactions [4].
References
1. The Earth’s changing, irregular magnetic field is causing headaches for polar navigation. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-earth-irregular-magnetic-field-headaches.html
2. Borovsky, J.E., Valdivia, J.A. The Earth’s Magnetosphere: A Systems Science Overview and Assessment. Surv Geophys 39, 817–859 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-018-9487-x
3. Scientists deepen understanding of magnetic fields surrounding Earth and other planetshttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190712133341.htm
4. Modeling Earth’s magnetosphere in the laboratory https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220412141011.htm
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