Magnetospheric polar cusp response to solar wind variations

• Grant number: 05/03501-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: January 01, 2006
• End date: December 31, 2006
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences
• Principal Investigator: Ezequiel Echer
• Grantee: Ezequiel Echer
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This Project has the aim the acquisition of computers to study the Earth's magnetospheric polar cusps response to the solar wind variation. These regions, located close to the Earth's magnetic poles, are regions where the geomagnetic field is weaker, allowing the direct entry of solar wind particles. They are open regions to mass, momentum and energy solar wind transfer into the magnetosphere. When the interplanetary magnetic field Bz component is southward, the energy transfer is caused by magnetic reconnection in the dayside, and when Bz is northward, by magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail lobes. This Project is a continuation of a recent Post-Doctoral Project developed by the present researcher (Pq-Ex 04/11115-4). Cluster plasma and magnetic field data, obtained by the research during his post-doc period in the Max Planck Institute for Solar System research, will be analyzed in this study. Further, for this study ACE solar wind data and Polar magnetic field data in the polar magnetosphere will be used. This study is about the polar cusps response to different solar wind conditions during the solar cycle 23 decline (2001-2004). The results obtained from the present study will be compared with literature results that have studied the polar cusp dynamics in the past as well as with results of measurements done in other magnetospheric regions. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MARLOS ROCKENBACH DA SILVA; WALTER DEMETRIO GONZALEZ ALARCON; EZEQUIEL ECHER; ALISSON DAL LAGO; LUIS EDUARDO ANTUNES VIEIRA; FERNANDO LUÍS GUARNIERI; ALINE DE LUCAS; NELSON JORGE SCHUCH; KAZUOKI MUNAKATA. Multitaper spectral analysis of cosmic rays São Martinho da Serra's muon telescope and Newark's neutron monitor data. Revista Brasileira de Geofísica, v. 25, p. 163-167, 2007-00-00. (05/03501-4, 04/14784-4)