Features of the Solar Wind Plasma Flow around the Earth’s Magnetosphere

Abstract

The change in the properties of the solar wind flow as it crosses the bow shock wave front and moves in the Earth’s magnetosheath are discussed. Solar wind data are used to study the refraction of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) shock waves and the stationary tangential discontinuity of the solar wind into the magnetosheath. It is shown that the refraction of the solar-wind rotational discontinuity into the magnetosheath is accompanied by the emergence of a plateau-type plasma inhomogeneity with respect to the density of charged particles, with a simultaneous decrease in the magnetic field intensity. Moreover, the breaking of the secondary MHD contraction wave, reflected from the magnetopause, may be accompanied by the emergence of a fast reverse shock wave.