Role of the solar wind magnetic field in the interaction of a non-magnetized body with the solar wind: An electromagnetic 2-D particle-in-cell simulation

Abstract

The solar wind interaction with a non-magnetized, electrically non-conducting body is studied using a two- dimensional electromagnetic full particle simulation. The solar wind magnetic field is introduced into the simulation scheme as an initial condition together with the electric field generated by the motion of the solar wind. The solar wind magnetic field controls the direction of the thermal flow of the electrons and causes an asymmetry of the negative charging of the downstream-side surface. The negative charging and the potential drop are largest at the position where the solar wind magnetic field is perpendicular to the surface of the non- magnetized body. In the absence of photoelectrons, the solar wind electrons begin to be expelled by the negative charging at the terminator and then flow away along the field line producing streaks of enhancements of the electron density. © The Society of Geomagnetism and Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences (SGEPSS); The Seismological Society of Japan; The Volcanological Society of Japan; The Geodetic Society of Japan; The Japanese Society for Planetary Sciences; TERRAPUB.