Migration of Fast Magnetosonic Waves in the Magnetosphere With a Plasmaspheric Plume

Abstract

Abstract Plasmaspheric density structures are considered to control the propagation trajectories of fast magnetosonic (MS) waves in the inner magnetosphere. However, whether the plasmaspheric plume can effectively alter the propagation of MS waves remains unknown. Based on the analytical model of plasma density, ray tracing simulations are performed to investigate the propagation of exactly perpendicular MS waves in the equatorial plane in the magnetosphere containing a plasmaspheric plume. We find that plasmatrough and plume MS waves propagating toward the plasmaspheric plume can be reflected into the plasmaspheric core by the plume, then potentially migrating globally and thus quasi‐trapped inside the plasmaspheric core. The simulations also indicate that lower‐frequency MS waves approaching the plasmaspheric plume are more easily reflected and quasi‐trapped inside the plasmaspheric core. Our findings illustrate a previously unexplored way that plasmatrough MS waves could access and be trapped inside the plasmaspheric core via azimuthal plasmaspheric density structures.

Keywords

• magnetosonic waves
• wave propagation
• ray tracing
• plasmaspheric plume