Changes in and Recovery of the Turbulence Properties in the Magnetosheath for Different Solar Wind Streams

Abstract

Solar wind is known to have different properties depending on its origin at the Sun. In addition to the differences in plasma and magnetic field parameters, these streams differ due to the properties of turbulent fluctuations involved in the flow. The present study addresses the changes in the turbulence properties in the magnetosheath—the transition region in front of the magnetosphere. This study is based on statistics from the simultaneous measurements of magnetic field fluctuations in the solar wind and in the magnetosheath. Both the dayside and flank magnetosheath regions are focused on to detect the evolution of the turbulent fluctuations during their flow around the magnetosphere. Turbulent cascade is shown to save its properties for fast solar wind streams. Conditions favorable for the preservation of the turbulence properties at the bow shock may correspond to the increased geoefficiency of large-scale solar wind structures.

Keywords

• solar–terrestrial relations
• space plasma
• turbulence
• solar wind
• magnetosheath