The coupling between the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetosphere is a very complex problem, which is driven by an array of internal and external processes influencing multiple regions. Transient phenomena in the solar wind and the foreshock are a prime example, since energy transfer occurs during their interaction with the magnetosphere, eventually impacting the ionosphere. These transient phenomena can either be generated locally (e.g. hot flow anomalies), or are intrinsic to the solar wind. Nevertheless, their impact cannot be fully understood without accounting for the magnetosheath and its polar cusp regions. The reason for this is because the magnetosheath is a natural interface between interplanetary space and the inner magnetosphere. Thus, mass and momentum transport processes (e.g. magnetic reconnection, Kelvin Helmholtz instability, and kinetic Alfvén waves) are regulated by its local and global properties. The polar cusps are also crucial since they are populated by magnetosheath plasma and therefore play an important role in the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling. In this session, we invite contributions which focus on the following: transient solar wind phenomena and foreshock regions, the dynamics of planetary magnetosheaths/cusps, magnetosheath boundary layers, or a combination of these. We particularly encourage contributions addressing solar wind-magnetosphere coupling.

The session will provide a forum to present the latest results from in-situ spacecraft observations (e.g., MMS, Van Allen Probes, THEMIS, Cluster), ground-based observations (all-sky camera, radar, magnetometer), numerical simulations or a synergy/conjunction of these. Contributions related to the newly selected ESA-China SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Link Explorer) mission are encouraged.