How the solar wind variations influence magnetospheric dynamics

Our society heavily depends on modern technologies including global power grids, long pipelines, aircraft routes and on space-based communications that are very sensitive to effects associated with changing solar activity. Probably the most dangerous events are explosive cases in the solar corona (Coronal Mass Ejections, CMEs) that spew out huge amount of ionized matter into the interplanetary space. However, similarly dangerous events can evolve even in a quiet solar wind due to the interaction of solar wind streams with different velocities (Corotation Interaction Regions, CIRs). The long chain of processes connecting events on the Sun or creating through their propagation with their response in the Earth environment is complicated and thus it is a subject of intensive research for more than four decades. We believe that we know basic mechanisms of mentioned interactions. Our department deals with different aspects of this interaction and collaborates with leading institutions involved in space physics over the world. We offer experimental studies in following closely related directions: (1) the propagation and evolution of solar wind structures through the interplanetary space, (2) modification of their parameters due to interaction each with other and with magnetospheric boundaries, (3) formation of magnetospheric boundaries and transfer of the energy and mass to the magnetosphere via the magnetosheath. The study envisages both systematic analyses of data from various spacecraft operating in the solar wind and around the Earth and case studies of specific events. The solution of the thesis involves the use of present methods of data processing, including machine learning.