Wind observations of the terrestrial bow shock: 3-D shape and motion

• Published in: Earth, planets, and space planets, and space, 2001-01, Vol.53 (10), p.1001-1009
• Main Authors: Verigin, M, Kotova, G, Szabo, A, Slavin, J, Gombosi, T, Kabin, K, Shugaev, F, Kalinchenko, A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anisotropy; Charged particles; Earth; Earth magnetosphere; Mach number; Magnetic fields; Perigees; Planetary bow shocks; Solar magnetic field; Solar wind; Solar wind flow; Three dimensional motion; Venus; Wind flow; Wind measurement; Wind observation
• ISSN: 1880-5981; 1343-8832; 1880-5981
• DOI: 10.1186/BF03351697

Between late 1994 and early 2001 the Wind orbiter, generally targeted to stay in the solar wind, passed through the Earth’s magnetosphere ∼50 times. About 450 distinct bow shock crossings were collected during the inbound and outbound bracketing each Wind perigee. These crossings and corresponding vectorial upstream solar wind measurements by the Wind MFI and SWE instruments are used to study the 3-D shape of the bow shock and its motion. Mapping of bow shock crossings to the Sun-Earth line and to the terminator plane is realized using a recent analytical model of the planetary bow shock. The asymmetry of the terrestrial bow shock in the terminator plane is studied as a function of Friedrichs diagram anisotropy. Analysis of the subsolar bow shock position as a function of Alfvenic Mach number Ma during intervals of magnetic field aligned solar wind flow shows that the shock tends to approach the Earth when Ma is decreasing, while for non field-aligned flows bow shock moves from the planet.