The Electric Properties of the Magnetopause Boundary Layer

Abstract

The magnetopause plays a pivotal role in the coupling among solar wind, the magnetosheath, and the magnetosphere. By analyzing magnetopause crossing events using MMS, we reveal a local non-neutrality of electric charges in the magnetopause boundary layer and the associated electric field. There are two types of electric structures. In one group, which typically occurs on the dusk side, the electric field directs towards the Earth. In the other, which generally occurs on the day side, the field directs away from the Earth. The spatial extent of this electric non-neutrality spans approximately 600 km, which is at the scale of ion gyrational motion. These findings provide valuable insights into the fine structures of the magnetopause and the coupling between the magnetosheath and the magnetosphere.