Non-uniform structures in the solar wind and its interaction with the Earth’s magnetosphere

The solar wind prediction in front of the Earth relies on the spacecraft observations at the L1 point. In the last decade, the Wind and ACE missions orbiting around the L1 point were accompanied with the DSCOVR spacecraft. This configuration allows determination of the spatial structure of solar wind discontinuities that in turn impact the Earth. Processes in the heliospheric current sheet can produce structures with scales comparable to the entire dayside magnetosphere and such structures can be misinterpreted using OMNI data that are based on observations in one point only. In this study, we present the tracing of such inhomogeneous structures in the solar wind from L1 toward the Earth. We analyze in details their manifestation in the magnetosheath, at the magnetopause and inside the magnetosphere with motivation to more precisely determine the shape and location of magnetospheric boundaries. Moreover, we investigate the mechanisms leading to creation and development of such structures in the solar wind.