Prediction of axial asymmetry in Jovian magnetopause reconnection

Under eastward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions near Jupiter's orbit, reconnection occurs at the southern-dusk and northern magnetopause with large shear angles between the magnetospheric and magnetosheath magnetic fields. When driven by the westward IMF, the reconnection position switches to the northern-dusk and southern magnetopause.

Component reconnection at the southern-dusk/northern-dusk magnetopause is associated with the interaction of the IMF with the nearly-dipolar background fields. Nearly-antiparallel reconnection near the noon-midnight plane at the northern/southern magnetopause is related to the dawn-dusk asymmetric, helical, closed lobe magnetic fields, which is a consequence of significant planetary corotation effects and not expected at Earth.