3-D Hybrid Simulation of Interaction Between Solar Wind Discontinuity and Magnetosphere

Previous simulations and observations indicate that interaction of interplanetary directional tangential discontinuities (TD), across which only the direction of magnetic field changes,with the bow shock may initiate magnetic reconnection as the TD is transmitted into the magnetosheath. We employ a 3-D electromagnetic, hybrid simulation to study such interaction between the TD and the bow shock-magnetosheath-magnetopause system, while the hybrid model treats the ions kinetically via particle-in-cell methods and the electrons as a massless fluid. We present results corresponding to different orientations of the initial IMF, TDs with various thicknesses ranging from 10 to 30 ion skin depths, and polarizations of magnetic field and senses of field rotation across the TD. Our results indicate that the reconnection rate and structure can be influenced by the width and the structure of the TD. The kinetic structure and evolution of FTEs produced by the magnetosheath reconnection, as they propagate to the magnetopause, will be studied.