Verification of Ion Density in Magnetosheath Using THEMIS Satellite Plasma Measurements

Abstract

The objective of investigation is to trace the changes of the ion density in the magnetosheath from the magnetopause to the bow shock. The theoretical interpretation is based on the magnetosheath- magnetosphere model, where the boundaries – bow shock and magnetopause, are self-consistently determined. The parameters in the magnetosheath are described by the gas-dynamic theory, while a variant of the Tsyganenko model is used in the magnetosphere, modified to compute the magnetic field in an area with arbitrarily chosen boundary. Data of the WIND satellites are used as solar wind monitoring. Good description is obtained for the considered crossing of the satellite THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) of both the trend and ion density values of the magnetosheath.