The magnetosheath is a dynamic region of space plasma located between Earth's bow shock and magnetopause. It forms when the supersonic solar wind encounters...
The magnetosheath is a region of turbulent, hot plasma located in space between a planet's bow shock and its magnetopause, formed by the interaction of the solar wind with the planetary magnetic field.
For Earth, the magnetosheath is situated just outside the magnetosphere, bounded externally by the bow shock and internally by the magnetopause, through which the solar wind flows after being slowed.
It acts as a transitional region where the solar wind's supersonic flow is slowed and heated before interacting directly with the magnetosphere. This process is crucial for understanding space weather and energy transfer into Earth's space environment.
The magnetosheath modifies the solar wind's properties (density, temperature, magnetic field) before it reaches the magnetosphere. These changes dictate how effectively solar energy and particles can penetrate Earth's protective magnetic bubble, influencing geomagnetic storms and auroras.