Magnetic reconnection at Neptune's magnetopause

Abstract

What we know about the magnetosphere of the outermost planet, Neptune, is primarily based on data taken during the Voyager 2 flyby in 1989. Establishing how Neptune's magnetosphere interacts with the solar wind is crucial for understanding the dynamics of the system. Here we assess how magnetic reconnection couples the solar wind to Neptune's magnetosphere, using analytical modeling that was recently applied to the case of Uranus. The modeling suggests that typical near-Neptune solar wind parameters make conditions at Neptune's magnetopause less favorable for magnetic reconnection than at the magnetopause boundary of any other solar system magnetosphere. The location of reconnection sites on Neptune's magnetopause is expected to be highly sensitive to planetary longitude and season, as well as interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation, which is similar to the situation at Uranus. Also similar to past Uranus results, the present Neptune modeling indicates a seasonal effect, where one of the two dominant (Parker spiral) IMF orientations produces more favorable conditions for magnetopause reconnection than the other near equinox. We estimate the upper limit of the reconnection voltage applied to Neptune's magnetosphere as 35 kV (the typical voltage is expected to be considerably lower). Further progress in understanding the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction at Neptune requires other coupling mechanisms to be considered, as well as how reconnection operates at high plasma β.