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AGU: Geophysical Research Letters

 

Index Terms

  • Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetopause, cusp, and boundary layers
  • Magnetospheric Physics: Solar wind/magnetosphere interactions
  • Interplanetary Physics: Solar wind plasma
  • Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Airglow and aurora

Abstract

X-ray emission from the terrestrial magnetosheath

I. P. Robertson

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA

T. E. Cravens

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA

X-rays are generated throughout the terrestrial magnetosheath as a consequence of charge transfer collisions between heavy solar wind ions and geocoronal neutrals. The solar wind ions resulting from these collisions are left in highly excited states and emit extreme ultraviolet or soft X-ray photons. A model has been created to simulate this X-ray radiation. Published terrestrial exospheric hydrogen distributions and solar wind speed, density and temperature distributions were used in this model. Simulated images were created as seen from an observation point outside the geocorona. The locations of the bow shock and magnetopause are evident in these images. Perhaps this X-ray emission can be used to remotely sense the solar wind flow around the magnetosphere. Since similar X-rays are produced in the heliosphere, the challenge will be, however, to eliminate this background emission.

Published 29 April 2003.

Citation: Robertson, I. P., and T. E. Cravens (2003), X-ray emission from the terrestrial magnetosheath, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30(8), 1439, doi:10.1029/2002GL016740.

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