The magnetosheath

The properties of magnetosheath, which lies between the bow shock and the magnetopause and is formed mainly from decelerated and deflected solar wind, are discussed. Magnetosheath seems to arise from the bouncing of particles between the shock and an oblique discontinuity, as the discontinuity tracks across the shock carried by the solar wind flow. The magnetosheath plasma parameters show both large scale spatial ordering, imposed by the shape of the magnetopause, and variability dependent on the solar wind input. The shocks, whether quasi-perpendicular or quasi-parallel, affects the properties of the magnetosheath plasma.