Mariner 2 observations of the solar wind: 2. Relation of plasma properties to the magnetic field

Magnetic reconnection is a mechanism that allows rapid and explosive energy transfer from the magnetic field to the plasma. The magnetopause is the interface between the shocked solar wind plasma and Earth&#8217;s magnetosphere. Reconnection enables the transport of momentum from the solar wind into Earth&#8217;s magnetosphere. Because of its importance in this regard, magnetic reconnection has been extensively studied in the past and is the primary goal of the ongoing Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. During magnetic reconnection, the originally anti-parallel fields annihilate and reconnect in a thinned current sheet. In the vicinity of a reconnection site, a prominently increased curvature of the magnetic field (and smaller radius of curvature) marks the region where the particles start to deviate from their regular gyro-motion and become available for energy conversion. Before MMS, there were no closely separated multi-spacecraft missions capable of resolving these micro-scale curvature features, nor examining particle dynamics with sufficiently fast cadence.In this study, we use measurements from the four MMS spacecraft to determine the curvature of the field lines and the plasma properties near the reconnection site. We use this method to study FTEs (flux ropes) on the magnetopause, and the interaction between co-existing FTEs. Our study not only improves our understanding of magnetic reconnection, but also resolves the relationship between FTEs and structures on the magnetopause.

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Steepening of magnetosonic waves in the inner coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

10.5194/angeo-2020-84 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Katharina Ostaszewski ◽

Karl-Heinz Glassmeier ◽

Charlotte Goetz ◽

Philip Heinisch ◽

Pierre Henri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Interaction Region ◽

Occurrence Rate ◽

Solar Wind Interaction ◽

Plasma Properties ◽

Background Magnetic Field ◽

The Waves ◽

Comet 67P ◽

The Magnetic Field

Abstract. We present a statistical survey of large amplitude, asymmetric plasma, and magnetic field enhancements at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from December 2014 to June 2016. The aim is to provide a general overview of these structures' properties over the mission duration. At comets, nonlinear wave evolution plays an integral part in the development of turbulence and in particular facilitates the transfer of energy and momentum. As the first mission of its kind, the ESA Rosetta mission was able to study the plasma properties of the inner coma for a prolonged time and during different stages of activity. This enables us to study the temporal evolution of steepened waves and their characteristics. In total, we identified ~70000 events in the magnetic field data by means of machine learning. We observe that the occurrence of wave events is linked to the activity of the comet, where events are primarily observed at high outgassing rates. No clear indications of a relationship between the occurrence rate and solar wind conditions were found. The waves are found to propagate predominantly perpendicular to the background magnetic field, which indicates their compressive nature. Characteristics like amplitude, skewness, and width of the waves were extracted by fitting a skew normal distribution to the magnetic field magnitude of individual events. With increasing massloading the average amplitude of steepened waves decreases while the skewness increases. Using a modified 1D MHD model it was possible to show that such solitary structures can be described by the combination of nonlinear, dispersive, and dissipative effects. By combining the model with observations of amplitude, width, and skewness we obtain an estimate of the effective plasma viscosity in the comet-solar wind interaction region. At 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko steepened waves are of particular importance as they dominate the innermost interaction region for intermediate to high activity.

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Cluster observations of sudden impulses in the magnetotail caused by interplanetary shocks and pressure increases

Annales Geophysicae ◽

10.5194/angeo-23-609-2005 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 609-624 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

K. E. J. Huttunen ◽

J. Slavin ◽

M. Collier ◽

H. E. J. Koskinen ◽

A. Szabo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Dynamic Pressure ◽

Solar Wind Speed ◽

Interplanetary Shock ◽

Wind Pressure ◽

Shock Propagation ◽

Interplanetary Shocks ◽

Maximum Variance ◽

The Magnetic Field

Abstract. Sudden impulses (SI) in the tail lobe magnetic field associated with solar wind pressure enhancements are investigated using measurements from Cluster. The magnetic field components during the SIs change in a manner consistent with the assumption that an antisunward moving lateral pressure enhancement compresses the magnetotail axisymmetrically. We found that the maximum variance SI unit vectors were nearly aligned with the associated interplanetary shock normals. For two of the tail lobe SI events during which Cluster was located close to the tail boundary, Cluster observed the inward moving magnetopause. During both events, the spacecraft location changed from the lobe to the magnetospheric boundary layer. During the event on 6 November 2001 the magnetopause was compressed past Cluster. We applied the 2-D Cartesian model developed by collier98 in which a vacuum uniform tail lobe magnetic field is compressed by a step-like pressure increase. The model underestimates the compression of the magnetic field, but it fits the magnetic field maximum variance component well. For events for which we could determine the shock normal orientation, the differences between the observed and calculated shock propagation times from the location of WIND/Geotail to the location of Cluster were small. The propagation speeds of the SIs between the Cluster spacecraft were comparable to the solar wind speed. Our results suggest that the observed tail lobe SIs are due to lateral increases in solar wind dynamic pressure outside the magnetotail boundary.

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Solar wind and substorm excitation of the wavy current sheet

Annales Geophysicae ◽

10.5194/angeo-27-2457-2009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 27 (6) ◽

pp. 2457-2474 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

C. Forsyth ◽

M. Lester ◽

R. C. Fear ◽

E. Lucek ◽

I. Dandouras ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Current Sheet ◽

Pressure Pulse ◽

Wind Pressure ◽

Expansion Velocity ◽

Solar Wind Pressure ◽

Wave Models ◽

Best Fit ◽

The Magnetic Field

Abstract. Following a solar wind pressure pulse on 3 August 2001, GOES 8, GOES 10, Cluster and Polar observed dipolarizations of the magnetic field, accompanied by an eastward expansion of the aurora observed by IMAGE, indicating the occurrence of two substorms. Prior to the first substorm, the motion of the plasma sheet with respect to Cluster was in the ZGSM direction. Observations following the substorms show the occurrence of current sheet waves moving predominantly in the −YGSM direction. Following the second substorm, the current sheet waves caused multiple current sheet crossings of the Cluster spacecraft, previously studied by Zhang et al. (2002). We further this study to show that the velocity of the current sheet waves was similar to the expansion velocity of the substorm aurora and the expansion of the dipolarization regions in the magnetotail. Furthermore, we compare these results with the current sheet wave models of Golovchanskaya and Maltsev (2005) and Erkaev et al. (2008). We find that the Erkaev et al. (2008) model gives the best fit to the observations.

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Relation of the magnetic field in the magnetosphere to the geomagnetic and solar wind activity

Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres ◽

10.1029/97ja00937 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 102 (A8) ◽

pp. 17467-17473 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

A. A. Ostapenko ◽

Y. P. Maltsev

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Wind Activity ◽

The Magnetic Field

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Experimental and numerical investigation of plasma parameters in the magnetosheath

MATEC Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/matecconf/201814503003 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 145 ◽

pp. 03003

Author(s):

Polya Dobreva ◽

Monio Kartalev ◽

Olga Nitcheva ◽

Natalia Borodkova ◽

Georgy Zastenker

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Numerical Investigation ◽

Euler Equations ◽

Ideal Gas ◽

Bow Shock ◽

Plasma Parameters ◽

Wind Spacecraft ◽

The Magnetic Field ◽

Good Agreement

We investigate the behaviour of the plasma parameters in the magnetosheath in a case when Interball-1 satellite stayed in the magnetosheath, crossing the tail magnetopause. In our analysis we apply the numerical magnetosheath-magnetosphere model as a theoretical tool. The bow shock and the magnetopause are self-consistently determined in the process of the solution. The flow in the magnetosheath is governed by the Euler equations of compressible ideal gas. The magnetic field in the magnetosphere is calculated by a variant of the Tsyganenko model, modified to account for an asymmetric magnetopause. Also, the magnetopause currents in Tsyganenko model are replaced by numericaly calulated ones. Measurements from WIND spacecraft are used as a solar wind monitor. The results demonstrate a good agreement between the model-calculated and measured values of the parameters under investigation.

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Cusp-like plasma in high altitudes: a statistical study of the width and location of the cusp from Magion-4

Annales Geophysicae ◽

10.5194/angeo-20-311-2002 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 311-320 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

J. Mĕrka ◽

J. Šafránková ◽

Z. Nĕmeček

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

High Altitudes ◽

Data Set ◽

Latitudinal Dependence ◽

Merging Process ◽

Low Altitude ◽

Field Lines ◽

The Magnetic Field ◽

Dipole Tilt

Abstract. The width of the cusp region is an indicator of the strength of the merging process and the degree of opening of the magnetosphere. During three years, the Magion-4 satellite, as part of the Interball project, has collected a unique data set of cusp-like plasma observations in middle and high altitudes. For a comparison of high- and low-altitude cusp determination, we map our observations of cusp-like plasma along the magnetic field lines down to the Earth’s surface. We use the Tsyganenko and Stern 1996 model of the magnetospheric magnetic field for the mapping, taking actual solar wind and IMF parameters from the Wind observations. The footprint positions show substantial latitudinal dependence on the dipole tilt angle. We fit this dependence with a linear function and subtract this function from observed cusp position. This process allows us to study both statistical width and location of the inspected region as a function of the solar wind and IMF parameters. Our processing of the Magion-4 measurements shows that high-altitude regions occupied by the cusp-like plasma (cusp and cleft) are projected onto a much broader area (in magnetic local time as well as in a latitude) than that determined in low altitudes. The trends of the shift of the cusp position with changes in the IMF direction established by low-altitude observations have been confirmed.Key words. Magnetospheric physics (magnetopause, cusp and boundary layer; solar wind – magnetosphere interactions)

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Non-damping oscillations at flaring loops

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201832991 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 617 ◽

pp. A86 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

D. Li ◽

D. Yuan ◽

Y. N. Su ◽

Q. M. Zhang ◽

W. Su ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Line Width ◽

Line Emission ◽

Flux Rope ◽

Doppler Velocity ◽

Narrow Slit ◽

Plasma Properties ◽

Spectral Window ◽

Peak Intensity ◽

The Magnetic Field

Context. Quasi-periodic oscillations are usually detected as spatial displacements of coronal loops in imaging observations or as periodic shifts of line properties (i.e., Doppler velocity, line width and intensity) in spectroscopic observations. They are often applied for remote diagnostics of magnetic fields and plasma properties on the Sun. Aims. We combine the imaging and spectroscopic measurements of available space missions, and investigate the properties of non-damping oscillations at flaring loops. Methods. We used the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) to measure the spectrum over a narrow slit. The double-component Gaussian fitting method was used to extract the line profile of Fe XXI 1354.08 Å at the “O I” spectral window. The quasi-periodicity of loop oscillations were identified in the Fourier and wavelet spectra. Results. A periodicity at about 40 s is detected in the line properties of Fe XXI 1354.08 Å, hard X-ray emissions in GOES 1−8 Å derivative, and Fermi 26−50 keV. The Doppler velocity and line width oscillate in phase, while a phase shift of about π/2 is detected between the Doppler velocity and peak intensity. The amplitudes of Doppler velocity and line width oscillation are about 2.2 km s−1 and 1.9 km s−1, respectively, while peak intensity oscillates with amplitude at about 3.6% of the background emission. Meanwhile, a quasi-period of about 155 s is identified in the Doppler velocity and peak intensity of the Fe XXI 1354.08 Å line emission, and AIA 131 Å intensity. Conclusions. The oscillations at about 40 s are not damped significantly during the observation; this might be linked to the global kink modes of flaring loops. The periodicity at about 155 s is most likely a signature of recurring downflows after chromospheric evaporation along flaring loops. The magnetic field strengths of the flaring loops are estimated to be about 120−170 G using the magnetohydrodynamic seismology diagnostics, which are consistent with the magnetic field modeling results using the flux rope insertion method.

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Scattering of field-aligned beam ions upstream of Earth's bow shock

Annales Geophysicae ◽

10.5194/angeo-25-785-2007 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 785-799 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

A. Kis ◽

M. Scholer ◽

B. Klecker ◽

H. Kucharek ◽

E. A. Lucek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Field Measurements ◽

Bow Shock ◽

Ion Distribution ◽

Parallel Side ◽

Earth’S Bow Shock ◽

High Mach ◽

The Magnetic Field

Abstract. Field-aligned beams are known to originate from the quasi-perpendicular side of the Earth's bow shock, while the diffuse ion population consists of accelerated ions at the quasi-parallel side of the bow shock. The two distinct ion populations show typical characteristics in their velocity space distributions. By using particle and magnetic field measurements from one Cluster spacecraft we present a case study when the two ion populations are observed simultaneously in the foreshock region during a high Mach number, high solar wind velocity event. We present the spatial-temporal evolution of the field-aligned beam ion distribution in front of the Earth's bow shock, focusing on the processes in the deep foreshock region, i.e. on the quasi-parallel side. Our analysis demonstrates that the scattering of field-aligned beam (FAB) ions combined with convection by the solar wind results in the presence of lower-energy, toroidal gyrating ions at positions deeper in the foreshock region which are magnetically connected to the quasi-parallel bow shock. The gyrating ions are superposed onto a higher energy diffuse ion population. It is suggested that the toroidal gyrating ion population observed deep in the foreshock region has its origins in the FAB and that its characteristics are correlated with its distance from the FAB, but is independent on distance to the bow shock along the magnetic field.

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Influence of time-variable solar wind on the response of Mercury’s magnetosphere

10.5194/epsc2021-531 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sae Aizawa ◽

Nicolas André ◽

Ronan Modolo ◽

Elisabeth Werner ◽

Jim Slavin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Charged Particles ◽

Time Variable ◽

Low Energy ◽

Field Of View ◽

Plasma Measurement ◽

Electrons And Ions ◽

Low Energy Electrons ◽

The Magnetic Field

BepiColombo is going to conduct its first Mercury flyby in October 2021. During this flyby,&#160; plasma measurement will be obtained and bring new insights on the Hermean magnetosphere and its interaction with the Sun despite the limited field of view of the instruments during the cruise phase. Unlike Mariner-10 ion measurements will be obtained, and unlike MESSENGER, low energy electrons and ions will be measured simultaneously. In this study, we have revisited Mariner 10 and MESSENGER observations with the help of the global hybrid model LatHyS in order to understand the influence of time-variable solar wind and to constraint the plasma environment. We are able to reproduce the magnetic field observations of Mariner 10 along its trajectory with in particular two distinct signatures consisting of a quiet and disturbed state of the magnetosphere. In addition, the plasma spectrogram is also collected in the model and this enables us to detail the properties of the charged particles observed during the flyby. We will discuss all these signatures both in term of an interaction with a time-variable solar wind and localized processes occurring in the magnetosphere. We will then present the virtual sampling of both the magnetic field and plasma spectrogram along BepiColombo&#8217;s first Mercury flyby trajectory and discuss the possible signatures to be observed at that time.

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