The integrated dayside merging rate is controlled primarily by the solar wind

Abstract

AbstractAn argument is presented to support the view that the rate of merging between the geomagnetic field and the interplanetary magnetic field across the dayside magnetosphere is controlled primarily by the solar wind parameters. The controlling parameters are the solar wind electric field in the Earth's frame of reference and the solar wind magnetosonic fast mode Mach number. These factors control to first order the total amount of magnetic flux that is carried by the magnetosheath flow to the dayside merging region. We argue that the global dayside merging rate is governed by the amount of flux that is delivered to the dayside merging line by the magnetosheath flow. The ionospheric conductance also plays an important role by modulating the shape of the magnetospheric obstacle around which the magnetosheath flow is deflected. The local conditions at the magnetopause, especially changes in magnetospheric plasma density will affect the local reconnection rate, but not the global dayside merging rate because to change the global merging rate the entire pattern of magnetosheath flow must be changed. The conceptual model presented here can explain how dayside merging depends on solar wind values, including both linear and nonlinear dependencies, through the application of a single, unifying perspective, without the need for ad hoc mechanisms that limit the dayside merging rate.