Bow Shock-Magnetosphere coupling under different IMF conditions

We perform global hybrid (kinetic ions, fluid electrons) simulations to study the solar wind interaction with a magnetic dipole under a variety of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. The advantage of the hybrid code over fluid codes is that it treats ionscale microphysics in the context of the global interaction. We investigate the macrostructure of the bow shock, its dependence on foreshock upstream waves, its influence on the magnetosheath, and its coupling to the outer magnetosphere. The nature of the shock-magnetosheath-magnetosphere coupling is expected to be tied to the direction of IMF for a number of reasons. When the IMF is radial, the quasi-parallel shock and ion foreshock are upstream of the dayside magnetopause while during highly northward or southward IMF the quasi-parallel portion of the shock falls on the flanks and the dayside magnetopause is exposed to the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath. The magnetosheath is permeated by a variety of waves that result from the convection of upstream waves and also from local generation. Wave characteristics are different at the quasi-parallel and quasi-perpendicular parts of the magnetosheath. We study the influence that magnetosheath waves have on the outer magnetopause, and on processes taking place there such as reconnection.