Studying the Earth's magnetopause at High Latitudes With CLUSTER

The boundary between the interplanetary magnetic field and the terrestrial magnetic field is the magnetopause. This magnetopause is influenced by dynamic changes in the solar wind, i.e. different solar wind conditions lead to a change in the shape and location of the magnetopause. The interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere can be studied from in-situ spacecraft observations. Many studies focus on the equatorial plane, as this is where recent spacecraft constellations such as THEMIS or MMS operate. However, to fully capture the interaction, it is important to study the high latitude regions as well. The Cluster spacecraft allow us to collect a database of high-latitude magnetopause crossings and study magnetopause motion in this region, as well as deviations from established magnetopause models. We use multi-spacecraft analysis tools to investigate the direction of magnetopause motion in the high latitudes and compare the occurrence of crossings at different locations with the result in the equatorial plane. Our results will be useful for the interpretation of plasma measurements from the upcoming SMILE mission, as this spacecraft will also fly frequently through the high-latitude magnetopause.