Interplanetary shock–bow shock interaction: Comparison of a global MHD model and observation

Abstract

A fast forward shock passing through the bow shock would generate a train of new discontinuities that differ with the distance from the Sun–Earth line. However, interplanetary (IP) shocks are often followed by a rotation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) over a large angle and a presence of this rotation can modify the interaction process. The present paper analyzes in detail one IP shock where data measured by Wind are used as an input to a global BATS-R-US MHD model and the model prediction is compared with Geotail magnetosheath observations. The study is based on three runs of the global MHD model that use different modifications of upstream conditions. We have found that (1) about 45% of IP shocks is followed by a significant IMF rotation within 15min after the shock ramp; (2) the IMF rotation modifies the dynamics of the magnetospheric response to the IP shock arrival; (3) a train of new discontinuities created by an interaction of the IP shock with bow shock can be identified in MHD simulations as well as in the experimental data; and (4) a new discontinuity is created by the interaction of the IMF rotation with the bow shock.