Supersonic mixing layers: Stability of magnetospheric flanks models

Compressibility has a strong influence on the stability of velocity shear layers when the difference of velocity ΔV across the flow becomes supersonic. The flanks of the Earth's magnetopause are normally supersonic Ms > 1, and super-Alfvénic MA > 1, depending on the distance from...

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Autores principales: Gnavi, G., Gratton, F.T., Farrugia, C.J., Bilbao, L.E.
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Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_17426588_v166_n_p_Gnavi
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spelling todo:paper_17426588_v166_n_p_Gnavi2023-10-03T16:30:30Z Supersonic mixing layers: Stability of magnetospheric flanks models Gnavi, G. Gratton, F.T. Farrugia, C.J. Bilbao, L.E. Compressibility has a strong influence on the stability of velocity shear layers when the difference of velocity ΔV across the flow becomes supersonic. The flanks of the Earth's magnetopause are normally supersonic Ms > 1, and super-Alfvénic MA > 1, depending on the distance from the dayside terminator (Ms and MA are the sonic and Alfvén Mach numbers of the magnetosheath plasma, respectively). The stability of MHD supersonic flows depends, also on several other features, such as the finite thickness Δ of the boundary layer, the relative orientation of velocity and magnetic fields, the density jump across the boundary and the magnetic shear angle. We analyze the MHD stability of some representative flank sites modeled after data from spacecraft crossings of the magnetopause under different interplanetary conditions, complementing these cases with extrapolations of likely conditions upstream, and downstream of the crossing site. Under northward interplanetary magnetic field conditions, there are solar wind regimes such that the near, but already supersonic, flank of the magnetopause may be locally stable. Stability is possible, e.g., when M s becomes larger than ∼1.2-1.4 while MA remains smaller than 1.2, and there is magnetic shear between the geomagnetic and the interplanetary magnetic field. Solar winds favouring local stability of the boundary layer are cold, not-too-dense plasmas, with strong magnetic fields, so that MA is smaller, while Ms is larger, than normal values of the magnetosheath flow. A gap between dayside and tail amplifying regions of Kelvin-Helmholtz disturbances over the magnetopause may exist when the above conditions are realized. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd. Fil:Gnavi, G. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Fil:Gratton, F.T. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. Fil:Bilbao, L.E. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. CONF info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_17426588_v166_n_p_Gnavi
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-134
collection Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
description Compressibility has a strong influence on the stability of velocity shear layers when the difference of velocity ΔV across the flow becomes supersonic. The flanks of the Earth's magnetopause are normally supersonic Ms > 1, and super-Alfvénic MA > 1, depending on the distance from the dayside terminator (Ms and MA are the sonic and Alfvén Mach numbers of the magnetosheath plasma, respectively). The stability of MHD supersonic flows depends, also on several other features, such as the finite thickness Δ of the boundary layer, the relative orientation of velocity and magnetic fields, the density jump across the boundary and the magnetic shear angle. We analyze the MHD stability of some representative flank sites modeled after data from spacecraft crossings of the magnetopause under different interplanetary conditions, complementing these cases with extrapolations of likely conditions upstream, and downstream of the crossing site. Under northward interplanetary magnetic field conditions, there are solar wind regimes such that the near, but already supersonic, flank of the magnetopause may be locally stable. Stability is possible, e.g., when M s becomes larger than ∼1.2-1.4 while MA remains smaller than 1.2, and there is magnetic shear between the geomagnetic and the interplanetary magnetic field. Solar winds favouring local stability of the boundary layer are cold, not-too-dense plasmas, with strong magnetic fields, so that MA is smaller, while Ms is larger, than normal values of the magnetosheath flow. A gap between dayside and tail amplifying regions of Kelvin-Helmholtz disturbances over the magnetopause may exist when the above conditions are realized. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd.
format CONF
author Gnavi, G.
Gratton, F.T.
Farrugia, C.J.
Bilbao, L.E.
spellingShingle Gnavi, G.
Gratton, F.T.
Farrugia, C.J.
Bilbao, L.E.
Supersonic mixing layers: Stability of magnetospheric flanks models
author_facet Gnavi, G.
Gratton, F.T.
Farrugia, C.J.
Bilbao, L.E.
author_sort Gnavi, G.
title Supersonic mixing layers: Stability of magnetospheric flanks models
title_short Supersonic mixing layers: Stability of magnetospheric flanks models
title_full Supersonic mixing layers: Stability of magnetospheric flanks models
title_fullStr Supersonic mixing layers: Stability of magnetospheric flanks models
title_full_unstemmed Supersonic mixing layers: Stability of magnetospheric flanks models
title_sort supersonic mixing layers: stability of magnetospheric flanks models
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_17426588_v166_n_p_Gnavi
work_keys_str_mv AT gnavig supersonicmixinglayersstabilityofmagnetosphericflanksmodels
AT grattonft supersonicmixinglayersstabilityofmagnetosphericflanksmodels
AT farrugiacj supersonicmixinglayersstabilityofmagnetosphericflanksmodels
AT bilbaole supersonicmixinglayersstabilityofmagnetosphericflanksmodels
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