HR: 08:30h
AN: SM41B-03    [Abstracts]
TI: Multiple Cusps under Northward IMF Conditions: Observations and MHD Simulations Compared
AU: * Zhang, H
EM: zhang@bu.edu
AF: Center for Space Physics, Boston University, 725 Commmonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, United States
AU: Siscoe, G
EM: siscoe@bu.edu
AF: Center for Space Physics, Boston University, 725 Commmonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, United States
AU: Fritz, T A
EM: fritz@bu.edu
AF: Center for Space Physics, Boston University, 725 Commmonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, United States
AU: Zong, Q
EM: Qiugang_Zong@uml.edu
AF: Center for Atmospheric Research, University of Massachusetts- Lowell, 600 Suffolk Street, Lowell, MA 01854, United States
AU: Daly, P W
EM: daly@linmpi.mpg.de
AF: Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Max-Planck-Str. 2, Lindau, D-37191, Germany
AU: Reme, H
EM: Henri.Reme@cesr.fr
AF: CESR, BP4346, Toulouse, 31028, France
AU: Balogh, A
EM: a.balogh@ic.ac.uk
AF: Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7, United Kingdom
AU: Ridley, A J
EM: ridley@umich.edu
AF: Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 1411B Space Res Bldg, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
AU: Raeder, J
EM: J.Raeder@unh.edu
AF: Space Science Center, University of New Hampshire, 39 College Road, Durham, NH 03824, United States
AB: Multiple cusps have been observed by the Cluster spacecraft when the satellites were traveling outbound on Mar 21 and Mar 22, 2001. We conclude that multiple cusps are a temporal effect which is due to the change of the solar wind azimuthal flow (the wind sock effect). The cusp properties derived from two MHD codes, Open GGCM and BATSRUS, have been compared with the Cluster observations. We find that although the simulated magnetospheres are smaller than the real magnetosphere, the simulated magnetic fields and the amplitude of the model-derived plasma parameters (velocity, density, temperature and thermal pressure) agree well with Cluster observations. The MHD code successfully simulated the responses of the cusp positions to the solar wind azimuthal flow. This event is under northward IMF condition. The Geotail spacecraft observed the cold dense plasma when it crossed the dusk flank of the magnetotail. MHD code successfully simulated the formation of the cold sense plasma sheet on the flanks.
DE: 2706 Cusp
DE: 2724 Magnetopause and boundary layers
DE: 2753 Numerical modeling
DE: 2764 Plasma sheet
DE: 2784 Solar wind/magnetosphere interactions
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting