Global effects of transmitted shock wave propagation through the Earth's inner magnetosphere: First results from 3-D hybrid kinetic modeling

• Published in: Planetary and space science 2016-09, Vol.129, p.13-23
• Main Authors: Lipatov, A.S., Sibeck, D.G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Earth magnetosphere; Interplanetary shocks; Magnetosphere; Magnetospheres; Plasmasphere; Radiation belts; Ring current; Ring currents; Shock waves; Solar wind; Space Sciences (General); Transport; Wave-particle interactions
• ISSN: 0032-0633; 1873-5088
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pss.2016.05.010

We use a new hybrid kinetic model to simulate the response of ring current, outer radiation belt, and plasmaspheric particle populations to impulsive interplanetary shocks. Since particle distributions attending the interplanetary shock waves and in the ring current and radiation belts are non-Maxwellian, wave–particle interactions play a crucial role in energy transport within the inner magnetosphere. Finite gyroradius effects become important in mass loading the shock waves with the background plasma in the presence of higher energy ring current and radiation belt ions and electrons. Initial results show that shocks cause strong deformations in the global structure of the ring current, radiation belt, and plasmasphere. The ion velocity distribution functions at the shock front, in the ring current, and in the radiation belt help us determine energy transport through the Earth's inner magnetosphere. •The passage of the shock generates non-Maxwellian velocity distribution functions with an anisotropy from 5 to 9 that can trigger waves and instabilities like a mirror-ballooning instability.•Transmitted shocks deform the ring current, radiation belt and plasmasphere.•A strong compression in the dawn–dusk region (middle column) with a maximum in the equatorial plane will result in the generation of Alfén waves propagating along the magnetic field lines.