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Direct observations of a surface eigenmode of the dayside magnetopause

Author

Listed:
  • M. O. Archer

    (School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London
    Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, Department of Physics, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus)

  • H. Hietala

    (Planetary and Space Sciences, University of California
    University of Turku)

  • M. D. Hartinger

    (Space Science Institute
    Virginia Tech)

  • F. Plaschke

    (Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences)

  • V. Angelopoulos

    (Planetary and Space Sciences, University of California)

Abstract

The abrupt boundary between a magnetosphere and the surrounding plasma, the magnetopause, has long been known to support surface waves. It was proposed that impulses acting on the boundary might lead to a trapping of these waves on the dayside by the ionosphere, resulting in a standing wave or eigenmode of the magnetopause surface. No direct observational evidence of this has been found to date and searches for indirect evidence have proved inconclusive, leading to speculation that this mechanism might not occur. By using fortuitous multipoint spacecraft observations during a rare isolated fast plasma jet impinging on the boundary, here we show that the resulting magnetopause motion and magnetospheric ultra-low frequency waves at well-defined frequencies are in agreement with and can only be explained by the magnetopause surface eigenmode. We therefore show through direct observations that this mechanism, which should impact upon the magnetospheric system globally, does in fact occur.

Suggested Citation

  • M. O. Archer & H. Hietala & M. D. Hartinger & F. Plaschke & V. Angelopoulos, 2019. "Direct observations of a surface eigenmode of the dayside magnetopause," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-08134-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-08134-5
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    Cited by:

    1. M. O. Archer & M. D. Hartinger & F. Plaschke & D. J. Southwood & L. Rastaetter, 2021. "Magnetopause ripples going against the flow form azimuthally stationary surface waves," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, December.

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