Ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves permeate all regions of near-Earth space, from the foreshock, extending upstream of the quasi-parallel bow shock, through the magnetosheath, to the inner magnetosphere. They play a fundamental role in the transfer of electromagnetic energy from the solar wind to the magnetosphere, in the acceleration and loss of trapped particles in the inner magnetosphere, and contribute to magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling. ULF waves are also observed in all planetary environments in our solar system, from Mercury to the giant planets, and even in Ganymede's mini-magnetosphere.
Among the outstanding questions in the study of magnetospheric ULF waves is the nature of their generation and how it affects features of wave-particle interactions. At Earth, the upstream solar wind conditions are known to affect strongly the generation of ULF waves, either through the direct transmission of upstream fluctuations, or in creating favourable conditions for the waves to develop. For example, high solar wind speeds are conducive to the development of Kelvin-Helmholtz waves at the magnetopause.
In this session, we welcome contributions focusing on the generation mechanisms (internal and/or external) and the propagation of ULF waves in near-Earth space and at other planets, based on spacecraft and ground-based observations, numerical simulations, theoretical studies, and any combination thereof. ULF waves include for example (but are not limited to) foreshock waves, magnetosheath waves, such as mirror modes or Alfvén-ion cyclotron waves, Kelvin-Helmholtz and surface waves at the magnetopause, and field-line resonances. Presentations investigating the effects of ULF waves on their environment are also encouraged.