Statistics of dayside magnetospheric compressions
(Pekka Janhunen)

Objective

To understand the statistical occurrence frequency of dayside magnetosphere compressions.

Exercise outline

Given a large data base of hourly solar wind averages, determine the solar wind dynamic pressure. Compute for each case the dayside magnetopause distance. Fit at least two functions to the dynamic pressure distribution. Extrapolate from the distribution the occurrence frequency, for which the dayside magnetopause is closer to the Earth than a given distance. How often the solar wind dynamic pressure is so large that the magnetopause compresses inside the geostationary orbit (6.6 RE)? What about closer than the Earth surface (1 RE)? Compare the influence of the fitting functions to the result.

Data


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Minna Palmroth_at_fmi.fi (replace _at_ with @)
Finnish Meteorological Institute, Space Research
Erik Palmenin aukio 1, (Dynamicum)
Room 1D11a, 09-1929 4696
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