The impact of Radial and Quasi-Radial IMF on the Earth's Magnetopause
Size and Shape, and Dawn-Dusk 2 Asymmetry from Global 3D Kinetic
Simulations
Abstract
The boundary between the solar wind (SW) and the Earth’s magnetosphere,
named the magnetopause (MP), is highly dynamic. Its location and shape
can vary as a function of different SW parameters such as density,
velocity, and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientations. In the
present paper an event of July 26, 2017, captured by THEMIS spacecraft
is simulated by a 3D kinetic Particle-In-Cell (IAPIC) code. We
investigate the impact of radial (B = Bx) and quasi-radial (Bz
< Bx,By) IMF on the shape and size of Earth’s MP for a dipole
tilt of 31◦ using both maximum density steepening and pressure system
balance methods for identifying the boundary. We found that, compared
with northward or southward-dominant IMF conditions, the MP position
expands asymmetrically by 8 to 22\% under radial IMF. In
addition, we construct the MP shape along the tilted magnetic equator
and the OX axes showing that the expansion is asymmetric, not global,
stronger on the MP flanks, and is sensitive to the ambient IMF. Finally,
we investigate the contribution of SW ions back-scattered by the bow
shock to the MP expansion, the temperature anisotropy in the
magnetosheath, and a strong dawn-dusk asymmetry in MP location. These
simulations can substantially contribute in a complementary manner with
the available MHD and Hybrid models to both future space mission
measurements and exoplanet magnetosphere investigations.