Response of magnetospheric boundaries to the interplanetary shock: Themis contribution

Abstract

Several studies have been devoted to the interaction of interplanetary (IP) shocks with both characteristic Earth's magnetospheric boundaries: the bow shock and magnetopause. Non-stationarity of this interaction requires multi-spacecraft observations with good space and temporal coverage. We analyze a CIR generated IP shock with the normal highly inclined from the solar wind velocity. We use a large set of spacecraft orbiting in the solar wind (SOHO, Wind, ACE), near the bow shock (Cluster II) as well as in the magnetosheath (Themis A, B, C, D) and in the magnetosphere at the magnetopause vicinity (Themis E). We discuss the IP Shock deformation, changes of its orientation and speed as well as the properties of a new discontinuity generated by the IP shock-bow shock interaction. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.