MAGNETOSPHERIC PLASMA FLOWS ASSOCIATED WITH BOUNDARY WAVES AND FLUX-TRANSFER EVENTS

We describe plasma flow perturbations in the outer magnetosphere during the passage of magnetopause boundary waves and cylindrically shaped flux transfer events (FTEs). Spacecraft which remain within the magnetosphere observe bipolar flows normal to the nominal magnetopause accompanied by flows nearly opposite to the direction of boundary wave and/or FTE motion. Flows are generally discontinuous across FTE and magnetopause boundaries, with reversals in the component of flow tangential to the nominal magnetopause expected during all magnetopause crossings and some entries into FTEs. No bipolar flows normal to the nominal magnetopause occur within FTEs unless they rotate and none occur in the magnetosheath unless the boundary waves propagate relative to the magnetosheath flow. IRM satellite observations on October 28, 1984 may be interpreted either in terms of FTEs or boundary waves.