| 1. |
- Varsani, A., et al.
(författare)
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Simultaneous Remote Observations of Intense Reconnection Effects by DMSP and MMS Spacecraft During a Storm Time Substorm
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 122:11, s. 10891-10909
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- During a magnetic storm on 23 June 2015, several very intense substorms took place, with signatures observed by multiple spacecraft including DMSP and Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS). At the time of interest, DMSP F18 crossed inbound through a poleward expanding auroral bulge boundary at 23.5 h magnetic local time (MLT), while MMS was located duskward of 22 h MLT during an inward crossing of the expanding plasma sheet boundary. The two spacecraft observed a consistent set of signatures as they simultaneously crossed the reconnection separatrix layer during this very intense reconnection event. These include (1) energy dispersion of the energetic ions and electrons traveling earthward, accompanied with high electron energies in the vicinity of the separatrix; (2) energy dispersion of polar rain electrons, with a high-energy cutoff; and (3) intense inward convection of the magnetic field lines at the MMS location. The high temporal resolution measurements by MMS provide unprecedented observations of the outermost electron boundary layer. We discuss the relevance of the energy dispersion of the electrons, and their pitch angle distribution, to the spatial and temporal evolution of the boundary layer. The results indicate that the underlying magnetotail magnetic reconnection process was an intrinsically impulsive and the active X-line was located relatively close to the Earth, approximately at 16-18 R-E.
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| 2. |
- Nakamura, R., et al.
(författare)
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Transient, small-scale field-aligned currents in the plasma sheet boundary layer during storm time substorms
- 2016
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:10, s. 4841-4849
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on field-aligned current observations by the four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft near the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) during two major substorms on 23 June 2015. Small-scale field-aligned currents were found embedded in fluctuating PSBL flux tubes near the separatrix region. We resolve, for the first time, short-lived earthward (downward) intense field-aligned current sheets with thicknesses of a few tens of kilometers, which are well below the ion scale, on flux tubes moving equatorward/earthward during outward plasma sheet expansion. They coincide with upward field-aligned electron beams with energies of a few hundred eV. These electrons are most likely due to acceleration associated with a reconnection jet or high-energy ion beam-produced disturbances. The observations highlight coupling of multiscale processes in PSBL as a consequence of magnetotail reconnection.
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| 3. |
- Sergeev, V. A., et al.
(författare)
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MMS Observations of Reconnection Separatrix Region in the Magnetotail at Different Distances From the Active Neutral X-Line
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 126:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The region surrounding the reconnection separatrix consists of many particle and wave transient features (electron, cold and hot ion beams, Hall E&B fields, kinetic Alfven, LH, etc. waves) whose pattern and parameters may vary depending on the distance from active neutral line. We study nine quick MMS entries into the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) from the tail lobe to address the meso-scale pattern and other characteristics of phenomena for active separatrix crossings as deduced from particle observations. The outermost thin layer (a fraction of ion inertial scale, d(i)) of low-density plasma consists of accelerated electron beams and lobe cold ions and displays density depletions (EBL region). It is followed by hot proton beam (PBL region) in which the plasma density grows from lobe-like towards plasma sheet-like values; the beam energy-dispersion is used to estimate the distance from the active neutral line. Thin (usually <= d(i)) region containing intense Hall-like Ez perturbations (HR) usually overlaps with EBL and PBL regions. It often includes correlated B perturbations suggesting the Alfven wave-related transport from the reconnection source; the estimated Alfvenic ratio delta E/(V-A delta B) varied between 0.3 and 1.3 in studied examples. The HR is associated with profound plasma property changes, including the heating of cold ion beams in its innermost part, it hosts intense structured field-aligned currents and intense E-field fluctuations. Surprisingly, most of abovementioned findings are valid for crossings observed at large distances from the reconnection region (exceeding a few tens Re or >100 d(i)) except for longer time-scales and larger spatial scales of the pattern.
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| 4. |
- Nakamura, R., et al.
(författare)
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Thin Current Sheet Behind the Dipolarization Front
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 126:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report a unique conjugate observation of fast flows and associated current sheet disturbances in the near-Earth magnetotail by MMS (Magnetospheric Multiscale) and Cluster preceding a positive bay onset of a small substorm at similar to 14:10 UT, September 8, 2018. MMS and Cluster were located both at X similar to -14 R-E. A dipolarization front (DF) of a localized fast flow was detected by Cluster and MMS, separated in the dawn-dusk direction by similar to 4 R-E,R- almost simultaneously. Adiabatic electron acceleration signatures revealed from the comparison of the energy spectra confirm that both spacecraft encounter the same DF. We analyzed the change in the current sheet structure based on multi-scale multi-point data analysis. The current sheet thickened during the passage of DF, yet, temporally thinned subsequently associated with another flow enhancement centered more on the dawnward side of the initial flow. MMS and Cluster observed intense perpendicular and parallel current in the off-equatorial region mainly during this interval of the current sheet thinning. Maximum field-aligned currents both at MMS and Cluster are directed tailward. Detailed analysis of MMS data showed that the intense field-aligned currents consisted of multiple small-scale intense current layers accompanied by enhanced Hall-currents in the dawn-dusk flow-shear region. We suggest that the current sheet thinning is related to the flow bouncing process and/or to the expansion/activation of reconnection. Based on these mesoscale and small-scale multipoint observations, 3D evolution of the flow and current-sheet disturbances was inferred preceding the development of a substorm current wedge.
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| 5. |
- Sergeev, V. A., et al.
(författare)
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Substorm-Related Near-Earth Reconnection Surge : Combining Telescopic and Microscopic Views
- 2019
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:12, s. 6239-6247
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A strong ~11-min-long surge of the lobe reconnection was observed during a substorm on the tailward side of the near-Earth neutral line. In the southern lobe near the reconnection separatrix the MMS spacecraft observed short-duration earthward electron beams providing the local Hall current, tailward propagating Alfven wave (AW) bursts with Poynting flux up to 10−4 W/m2, and large-amplitude E field spikes (e-holes) and low hybrid waves. The reconnection surge was accompanied by substorm current wedge formation and fast poleward expansion of auroral bulge-related westward electrojet in the conjugate ionosphere. During its meridional crossing above the expanding bulge the Metop-2 spacecraft observed an intense energetic precipitation spike near the expected X line foot point and confirmed the dipolarized character of magnetic field lines inside of the bulge. Globally the observed average reconnection rate (<Ey > ~3.3 mV/m) was sufficient to produce the magnetic flux increase in the bulge, associated with observed fast poleward expansion (about 6° latitude in 5 min).
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