Study of MHD surface waves along the interfaces of the magneto sheath, boundary layer and magnetosphere with the effect of solar wind

Abstract

The magnetospheric boundary layer, which is the interface between the magneto sheath and the magnetosphere, has been considered to be the plasma slab surrounded by moving and static plasma media on either side. The compressibility effect on surface waves propagating along the slab has been discussed. The effect of variation of the boundary layer thickness is studied as a special case, since the observed variation of the boundary layer thickness leads to unstable modes due to Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. The solar wind driven magneto sheath plasma is considered as the moving plasma medium and the effect of the velocity of the solar wind is also taken into account.