Institute of Space Science, National Central University, Chung-li, Taiwan 32001

New models for the size and shape of the Earth's magnetopause and bow shock are derived, respectively, based on a criterion for selection crossing events and their corresponding up-stream solar wind parameters. In this study, we emphasize the importance of accurate interplanetary parameters for predicting the size and shape of the magnetopause and bow shock. The time lag of the solar wind between the solar wind monitor and the location of crossings is carefully considered ensuring more reliable up-stream solar wind parameters. With this database new functional forms of the magnetopause and bow shock surfaces are deduced. In this paper, we briefly present the preliminary results. For given up-stream solar wind dynamic pressure Dp, IMF north-south component B_Z, solar wind and the magnetosonic Mach number M_ms, the parameters d and µ that describe the magnetopause and bow shock surfaces can be expressed in terms of a set of coefficients determined with a multi-parameter fitting. Applications of these models to extreme solar wind conditions are demonstrated.

in Space Weather Study Using Multipoint Techniques, Proceedings of COSPAR Colloquium, ed. L.-H. Lyu, Pergamon Press, New York, 127, 2002