Magnetosheath jets: an interdisciplinary perspective

Earth’s magnetosheath, particularly its region downstream of the quasi-parallel bow shock, is permeated by plasma jets. These are local enhancements in the dynamic pressure, bubbles of plasma that are typically faster and denser in comparison to the ambient plasma. While jets emanate from the patchy and rippled quasi-parallel bow shock or upstream foreshock region, they are able to cross the entire magnetosheath and impact on the magnetopause. There, they may trigger magnetic reconnection and magnetopause surface waves, thereby coupling into large-scale magnetospheric dynamics. Consequently, the effects of jets can be observed inside the magnetosphere and also from ground. Jets are conceptually highly interesting phenomena as they can be interpreted as coupling elements between different regions and vastly different scales. Interdisciplinary research has led to significant advances in our understanding of jets over the past decade. However, despite all the efforts, many basic and fundamental questions remain unanswered. We review some latest results and open questions in jet research, emphasizing the benefit of interdisciplinary approaches.