A statistical study of the relationship between magnetosheath and solar wind plasma properties based on OMNI and THEMIS datasets

The magnetosheath functions as a natural filter between the interplanetary and magnetospheric plasma. The dependence and evolution of the plasma properties within the magnetosheath resulting from variations in the solar wind are still not completely understood. In addition to this, recent statistical studies have presented results which appear to exhibit a dawn dusk asymmetry within the magnetosheath region. However on the contrary, alternative studies propose that there is no such result. Therefore, the techniques and datasets that are used to perform statistical studies of the magnetosheath appear to play a critical role in the interpretation and direct outcome of certain statistical studies. The current work presents a statistical study using OMNI and THEMIS datasets to investigate the dependance between upstream solar wind conditions, and the properties of the plasma in the magnetosheath region. The binning of the statistical data is also directed towards shedding light on the presence/absence of various asymmetries within the magnetosheath. The influence that the analysis techniques and binning methodology have over the outcome of such statistical studies will also be discussed.