Solar wind entry into the high-latitude terrestrial magnetosphere during geomagnetically quiet times

An understanding of the transport of solar wind plasma into and throughout the terrestrial magnetosphere is crucial to space science and space weather. For non-active periods, there is little agreement on where and how plasma entry into the magnetosphere might occur. Moreover, behaviour in the high-latitude region behind the magnetospheric cusps, for example, the lobes, is poorly understood, partly because of lack of coverage by previous space missions. Here, using Cluster multi-spacecraft data, we report an unexpected discovery of regions of solar wind entry into the Earth's high-latitude magnetosphere tailward of the cusps. From statistical observational facts and simulation analysis we suggest that these regions are most likely produced by magnetic reconnection at the high-latitude magnetopause, although other processes, such as impulsive penetration, may not be ruled out entirely. We find that the degree of entry can be significant for solar wind transport into the magnetosphere during such quiet times.

Upgrades to the Auburn linear experiment for instability studies

The Auburn linear experiment for instability studies (ALEXIS) is a laboratory plasma physics experiment that is designed to investigate the role of spatially non-uniform E × B drifts using a magnetized cylindrical plasma column. This paper discusses the recent upgrades to the ALEXIS device, including improvements to the plasma source, gas management systems, and diagnostic suite.