@article{Kelly:2026:10.1029/2025GL120284,
author = {Kelly, H and Archer, M and Eastwood, J and Heyns, M and Eggington, J and Chittenden, J},
doi = {10.1029/2025GL120284},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
title = {Superposition of doppler-shifting magnetopause Kelvin-Helmholtz modes through dynamic mode decomposition of a global MHD simulation},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2025GL120284},
volume = {53},
year = {2026}
}

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TY  - JOUR
AB  - The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) mediates the viscous-like solar-terrestrial interaction by generating magnetopause surface waves that quickly become non-linear. Basic theory predicts the locally most-unstable linear wave dominates. However, Kelvin-Helmholtz is a broad, convective instability that also amplifies waves originating upstream. We address this conundrum by applying dynamic mode decomposition to a Gorgon global magnetohydrodynamic simulation of the KHI. While distinct modes quickly grow at points along the magnetopause, signaling local generation, their energy continues to slowly grow downtail. Thus, a superposition is present along the magnetopause, where the dominant mode is not always the locally fastest-growing. Each mode's wavelength elongates downtail, correlating with the boundary layer flow speed due to the accelerating advective flow around the magnetosphere Doppler shifting the fixed-frequency waves. This may explain why longer wavelengths are observed in the tail than theory predicts and motivates further exploration of tangential inhomogeneities in basic Kelvin-Helmholtz theory.
AU  - Kelly,H
AU  - Archer,M
AU  - Eastwood,J
AU  - Heyns,M
AU  - Eggington,J
AU  - Chittenden,J
DO  - 10.1029/2025GL120284
PY  - 2026///
SN  - 0094-8276
TI  - Superposition of doppler-shifting magnetopause Kelvin-Helmholtz modes through dynamic mode decomposition of a global MHD simulation
T2  - Geophysical Research Letters
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2025GL120284
UR  - https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU26/EGU26-21774.html
VL  - 53
ER  - 

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