Abstract
Using data from Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS), a statistical study was performed to determine whether a dawn-dusk asymmetry exists in the occurrence rates of the Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability during Parker-Spiral (PS) and Ortho-Parker-Spiral (OPS) orientations of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). It is determined from the data that there is a strong preference toward the dawn side during PS orientation. Because IMF is statistically in PS orientation, the KHI preference for the dawn-flank during this orientation may help explain the origin of the plasma sheet asymmetry of cold-component ions because it has been shown that KHI can drive kinetic-scale wave activity capable of ion heating.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| State | Published - Dec 11 2017 |
| Event | American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting - New Orleans, LA Duration: Dec 15 2017 → … |
Conference
| Conference | American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting |
|---|---|
| Period | 12/15/17 → … |
Keywords
- magnetospheric physics
- space plasma physics
- space weather
Disciplines
- Astrophysics and Astronomy