HR: 0800h
AN: SM11A-0323    [Abstracts]
TI: Kinetic Alfven waves at the low-latitude boundary layer
AU: * Kim, E
EM: ehkim@pppl.gov
AF: Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08543, United States
AU: Johnson, J R
EM: jrj@pppl.gov
AF: Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08543, United States
AB: In the LLBL for northward IMF, plasma is usually found to be "mixed" with both a low energy magnetosheath component and high energy magnetospheric component. Recent observations have found dawn-dusk asymmetries in the density and temperature of the ion populations, and in situ particle distributions show perpendicular ion heating of low energy ions on the dawnside associated with strong compressional wave activity in the magnetosheath. It is the purpose of this study to investigate energy transport processes that would occur due to mode conversion from compressional waves to kinetic Alfven waves (KAWs) at the LLBL. Using a time- dependent fluid simulation code, we show how such mode conversion at the sharp boundary layer occurs for continuous and impulsive incoming compressional waves from the magnetosheath. In addition, by adopting Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) vortex structure at the boundary layer, we also examine the wave properties in the small scale plasma structure. Time histories of electric and magnetic field at different spatial locations and wave spectra are presented. The role of KAW on the ion perpendicular heating at the dawnside LLBL is discussed. The results are expected to help further understanding of observed ULF waves by multiple satellites passing through boundary layers.
DE: 2724 Magnetopause and boundary layers
DE: 2752 MHD waves and instabilities (2149, 6050, 7836)
DE: 2753 Numerical modeling
DE: 7829 Kinetic waves and instabilities
DE: 7859 Transport processes
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting