Near-magnetopause magnetosheath in 3D gasdynamic module of the numerical magnetosheath–magnetosphere model

This paper describes an approach to a theoretical interpretation of Interball-1 satellite measurements data in two cases of the satellite’s crossings of the magnetosheath. An interpretation is made of both the measured crossings of the magnetosheath boundaries and the behavior of the registered plasma parameters. In our case, it is the value of the ion flux along the spacecraft trajectory. The magnetosheath–magnetosphere model, developed at the Institute of Mechanics, Sofia, Bulgaria, is used as a theoretical basis. It describes the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetosphere in a simplified gas-dynamic approximation. A characteristic feature of the model is that it allows for the self-consistent description of the magnetosheath boundaries – the bow shock (BS) and the magnetopause (MP). The three-dimensional picture of the magnetosheath fluid flow is also obtained as part of the solution. The magnetosheath characteristics thus obtained are in correspondence with a given momentary state of the interplanetary medium, defined on the basis of WIND satellite data (appropriately shifted by time). The results are discussed in the context of advantages and limitations of using the gas-dynamic model for the interpretation of magnetosheath plasma measurements in the near-magnetopause magnetosheath.