Extremely Distant Magnetopause Locations Caused by Magnetosheath Jets

Abstract

AbstractMagnetopause position is controlled mainly by the solar wind dynamic pressure and north‐south interplanetary magnetic field component and these quantities are included in different empirical magnetopause models. We have collected about 50,000 of dayside magnetopause crossings observed by THEMIS in course of 2007–2019 and compared the observed magnetopause position with model prediction. The difference between observed and predicted magnetopause radial distance, Robs − Rmod is used for quantifying the model‐observation agreement. Its median values are well predicted for cases up to Robs ≈ 12 RE for all models but higher positive deviations are found for larger magnetopause distances, mainly under a nearly radial field and low dynamic pressure. The analysis reveals their connection with transient magnetopause displacements caused by strong sunward flows in the magnetosheath. We discuss the possible origin of the observed magnetosheath flow switching in terms of the interaction of magnetosheath jets with the magnetopause.