Classification of the interactions of planetary bodies with stellar winds by hybrid simulation

Planetary objects may be embedded in a stellar wind or in a magnetospheric plasma flow. The complex interaction process is controlled by a series of properties of the planetary object and of the plasma flow. In this thesis a classification of the interaction processes is conducted by the analysis of the parameter space spanned by the upstream plasma flow speed, the planetary magnetic field, the electrical conductivity of the solid body, and its ionospheric conductivity. The interaction is modeled by hybrid simulations with the AIKEF code. The identification and analysis of the plasma structures is mainly based on the simulated electrical current loops. The outcome is a set of diagrams of the current structures representing the interaction types. Cornerstones in the parameter space are identified according to specific cases in the solar system. This work is a starting point towards an exhaustive classification of the types of planetary interactions with the interplanetary medium.