Imperial College London
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Professor Jonathan P. Eastwood

Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Physics

Professor of Space Physics
 
 
 
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Contact

 

jonathan.eastwood Website

 
 
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Assistant

 

Mr Luke Kratzmann +44 (0)20 7594 7770

 
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Location

 

Huxley BuildingSouth Kensington Campus

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Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Eggington:2022:10.1029/2021JA030006,
author = {Eggington, J and Desai, R and Mejnertsen, L and Chittenden, J and Eastwood, J},
doi = {10.1029/2021JA030006},
journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics},
title = {Time-varying magnetopause reconnection during sudden commencement: global MHD simulations},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2021JA030006},
volume = {127},
year = {2022}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - In response to a solar wind dynamic pressure enhancement, the compression of the magnetosphere generates strong ionospheric signatures and a sharp variation in the ground magnetic field, termed sudden commencement (SC). Whilst such compressions have also been associated with a contraction of the ionospheric polar cap due to the triggering of reconnection in the magnetotail, the effect of any changes in dayside reconnection is less clear and is a key component in fully understanding the system response. In this study we explore the time-dependent nature of dayside coupling during SC by performing global simulations using the Gorgon MHD code, and impact the magnetosphere with a series of interplanetary shocks with different parameters. We identify the location and evolu tion of the reconnection region in each case as the shock propagates through the magnetosphere, finding strong enhancement in the dayside reconnection rate and prompt expansion of the dayside polar cap prior to the eventual triggering of tail reconnection. This effect pervades for a variety of IMF orientations, and the reconnection rate is most enhanced for events with higher dynamic pressure. We explain this by repeating the simulations with a large explicit resistivity, showing that compression of the magnetosheath plasma near the propagating shock front allows for reconnection of much greater intensity and at different locations on the dayside magnetopause than during typical solar wind conditions. The results indicate that the dynamic behaviour of dayside coupling may render steady models of reconnection inaccurate during the onset of a severe space weather event.
AU  - Eggington,J
AU  - Desai,R
AU  - Mejnertsen,L
AU  - Chittenden,J
AU  - Eastwood,J
DO  - 10.1029/2021JA030006
PY  - 2022///
SN  - 2169-9380
TI  - Time-varying magnetopause reconnection during sudden commencement: global MHD simulations
T2  - Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2021JA030006
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/96093
VL  - 127
ER  -
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