Nonlinear plasma density modification by the ponderomotive force of ULF pulsations at the dayside magnetosphere

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how ULF pulsations induce nonlinear modifications in magnetospheric plasma density through the ponderomotive force, considering various forces and magnetic field configurations.

Contribution

It presents analytical and numerical solutions for plasma density changes caused by ULF wave-induced ponderomotive forces in the magnetosphere.

Findings

Ponderomotive force significantly alters plasma density distribution.

The study considers effects of centrifugal and gravitational forces.

Different magnetic field configurations influence the density modification.

Abstract

We investigate analytically and numerically a nonlinear modification of the magnetospheric plasma density under the action of the ponderomotive force induced by ULF traveling waves, using the nonlinear stationary force balance equation. This equation is applied to both the dipole and dayside magnetosphere having one and two minima of the geomagnetic field near the magnetospheric boundary. The separate and joint actions of the ponderomotive, centrifugal, and gravitational forces on the density distribution are shown.