Magnetic Turbulence at the Magnetopause, Plasma Penetration

Interball-1 high latitude data have shown that just outside magnetopause main current sheet (MP) and at its boundary the turbulent boundary layer (TBL) exists with the average RMS maximum about 15 nT and the occurrence rate 83%. The Alfvenic type non-linear waves with scales of several hundreds km produce 'magnetic bubbles' with highly reduced magnetic field and heated plasma inside. The almost unmagnetized heated MGH plasma inside 'magnetic bubbles' indicate on the local frozen-in condition violation. The TBL is able to provide population with the SW plasma both in the dayside and on the near tail flanks. This mechanism appears to operate in parallel with the well established global MP reconnection. Thus the critical region in the geospace plasma- TBL-appears to play a substantial role in the plasma transport and energy transformation. (author)