On the origin of the high-latitude boundary layer Original Research Article

This paper presents a statistical study of the high-latitude boundary layer (HLBL) performed on 53 Interball-1 magnetopause crossings. In the study we verify if antiparallel merging is the main source of HLBL formation when the IMF is nearly horizontal. To provide such a study we designed a new coordinate system which allowed us to analyze HLBL under varied interplanetary conditions. This coordinate system floats over the dayside magnetopause following the changes in the instant location of the reconnection site. Despite very different interplanetary conditions, the observed HLBL plasma regimes manifest systematic behavior in the “reconnection” frame of reference. We explain the observed pattern in terms of sporadic patchy reconnection in the high magnetic shear region of the magnetopause.