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Sökning: WFRF:(Gershman Daniel)

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1.
  • Richard, Louis, et al. (författare)
  • Fast Ion Isotropization by Current Sheet Scattering in Magnetic Reconnection Jets
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - : American Physical Society (APS). - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 131:11
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present a statistical analysis of ion distributions in magnetic reconnection jets using data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft. Compared with the quiet plasma in which the jet propagates, we often find anisotropic and non-Maxwellian ion distributions in the plasma jets. We observe magnetic field fluctuations associated with unstable ion distributions, but the wave amplitudes are not large enough to scatter ions during the observed travel time of the jet. We estimate that the phase-space diffusion due to chaotic and quasiadiabatic ion motion in the current sheet is sufficiently fast to be the primary process leading to isotropization.
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2.
  • Richard, Louis, et al. (författare)
  • Fast Ion Isotropization by Current Sheet Scattering in Magnetic Reconnection Jets
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - : American Physical Society. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 131:11
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present a statistical analysis of ion distributions in magnetic reconnection jets using data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft. Compared with the quiet plasma in which the jet propagates, we often find anisotropic and non-Maxwellian ion distributions in the plasma jets. We observe magnetic field fluctuations associated with unstable ion distributions, but the wave amplitudes are not large enough to scatter ions during the observed travel time of the jet. We estimate that the phase-space diffusion due to chaotic and quasiadiabatic ion motion in the current sheet is sufficiently fast to be the primary process leading to isotropization.
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3.
  • Roberts, Owen Wyn, et al. (författare)
  • Sub-ion Scale Compressive Turbulence in the Solar Wind : MMS Spacecraft Potential Observations
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 250:2
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Compressive plasma turbulence is investigated at sub-ion scales in the solar wind using both the Fast Plasma Investigation (FPI) instrument on the Magnetospheric MultiScale mission (MMS), as well as using calibrated spacecraft potential data from the Spin Plane Double Probe (SDP) instrument. The data from FPI allow the sub-ion scale region (f(sc) greater than or similar to 1 Hz) to be investigated before the instrumental noise becomes significant at a spacecraft frame frequency off(sc) 3 Hz. Whereas the calibrated spacecraft potential allows a measurement up tof(sc) 40 Hz. In this work, we give a detailed description of density estimation in the solar wind using the spacecraft potential measurement from the SDP instrument on MMS. Several intervals of solar wind plasma have been processed using the methodology described and are made available. One of the intervals is investigated in more detail and the power spectral density of the compressive fluctuations is measured from the inertial range to the sub-ion range. The morphology of the density spectra can be explained by either a cascade of Alfven waves and slow waves at large scales and kinetic Alfven waves at sub-ion scales or more generally by the Hall effect. Using electric field measurements, the two hypotheses are discussed.
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4.
  • Toledo-Redondo, Sergio, et al. (författare)
  • Cold ion demagnetization near the X-line of magnetic reconnection
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:13, s. 6759-6767
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Although the effects of magnetic reconnection in magnetospheres can be observed at planetary scales, reconnection is initiated at electron scales in a plasma. Surrounding the electron diffusion region, there is an Ion-Decoupling Region (IDR) of the size of the ion length scales (inertial length and gyroradius). Reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause often includes cold magnetospheric (few tens of eV), hot magnetospheric (10keV), and magnetosheath (1keV) ions, with different gyroradius length scales. We report observations of a subregion inside the IDR of the size of the cold ion population gyroradius (approximate to 15km) where the cold ions are demagnetized and accelerated parallel to the Hall electric field. Outside the subregion, cold ions follow the E x B motion together with electrons, while hot ions are demagnetized. We observe a sharp cold ion density gradient separating the two regions, which we identify as the cold and hot IDRs.
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5.
  • Toledo-Redondo, Sergio, et al. (författare)
  • Energy budget and mechanisms of cold ion heating in asymmetric magnetic reconnection
  • 2017
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 122:9, s. 9396-9413
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Cold ions (few tens of eV) of ionospheric origin are commonly observed on the magnetospheric side of the Earth's dayside magnetopause. As a result, they can participate in magnetic reconnection, changing locally the reconnection rate and being accelerated and heated. We present four events where cold ion heating was observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, associated with the magnetospheric Hall E field region of magnetic reconnection. For two of the events the cold ion density was small compared to the magnetosheath density, and the cold ions were heated roughly to the same temperature as magnetosheath ions inside the exhaust. On the other hand, for the other two events the cold ion density was comparable to the magnetosheath density and the cold ion heating observed was significantly smaller. Magnetic reconnection converts magnetic energy into particle energy, and ion heating is known to dominate the energy partition. We find that at least 10-25% of the energy spent by reconnection into ion heating went into magnetospheric cold ion heating. The total energy budget for cold ions may be even higher when properly accounting for the heavier species, namely helium and oxygen. Large E field fluctuations are observed in this cold ion heating region, i.e., gradients and waves, that are likely the source of particle energization. Plain Language Summary The magnetic field of Earth creates a natural shield that isolates and protects us from the particles and fields coming from our star, the Sun. This natural shield is called the magnetosphere and is filled by plasma. The particles coming from the Sun form another plasma called the solar wind and are usually deviated around the magnetosphere. However, under certain circumstances these two plasmas can reconnect (magnetic reconnection), and part of the energy and mass of the two plasmas is interchanged. Magnetic reconnection is the driver of storms and substorms inside the magnetosphere. In this work, we investigate what occurs to particles of very low energy (cold ions) of ionospheric origin when they reach the reconnecting boundary of the magnetosphere. It is found that they are energized and take an important part of the energy spent in reconnecting the plasmas. The plasma boundary develops spatial structures and emits waves that are able to heat the cold ions. Once heated, these cold ions irreversibly will escape the Earth's magnetosphere to never come back to Earth.
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6.
  • Wang, Shan, et al. (författare)
  • Lower-Hybrid Wave Structures and Interactions With Electrons Observed in Magnetotail Reconnection Diffusion Regions
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 127:5
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We investigate waves close to the lower-hybrid frequency in 12 magnetotail reconnection electron diffusion region (EDR) events with guide field levels of near-zero to 30%. In about half of the events, the wave vector has a small component along the current sheet normal, consistent with known lower-hybrid drift wave properties, but the perpendicular magnetic field fluctuations can be comparable or greater than the parallel component, a feature unique to the waves inside and adjacent to EDRs. Another new wave property is that the wave vector has a significant component along the current sheet normal in some events and completely along the normal for one event. In 1/4 of the events, the backward difference center dot Pe $\nabla \cdot {\boldsymbol{P}}_{e}$ term has a significant contribution to the wave electric field, possibly a feature of lower-hybrid waves more likely to exist in the diffusion region than further away from the X-line. Electron temperature variations are correlated with the wave potential, due to wave electric field acceleration and crossings at the corrugated separatrix region with different amounts of mixing between reconnection inflowing and outflowing populations. The latter also leads to the anti-correlation between parallel and perpendicular temperature components. Using four-spacecraft measurements, the magnetic field line twisting is demonstrated by the correlated fluctuations in backward difference xVExB|| ${\left(\nabla \times {\boldsymbol{V}}_{E\times B}\right)}_{\vert \vert }$ and ( backward difference xB)|| ${(\nabla \times \mathbf{B})}_{\vert \vert }$. The lower-hybrid wave in the EDR of weak guide field reconnection may be generated near separatrices and penetrate to the mid-plane or locally generated, and the latter possibility is beyond the prediction of previous reconnection simulations.
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7.
  • André, Mats, et al. (författare)
  • Magnetic reconnection and modification of the Hall physics due to cold ions at the magnetopause
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:13, s. 6705-6712
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Observations by the four Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft are used to investigate the Hall physics of a magnetopause magnetic reconnection separatrix layer. Inside this layer of currents and strong normal electric fields, cold (eV) ions of ionospheric origin can remain frozen-in together with the electrons. The cold ions reduce the Hall current. Using a generalized Ohm's law, the electric field is balanced by the sum of the terms corresponding to the Hall current, the vxB drifting cold ions, and the divergence of the electron pressure tensor. A mixture of hot and cold ions is common at the subsolar magnetopause. A mixture of length scales caused by a mixture of ion temperatures has significant effects on the Hall physics of magnetic reconnection.
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8.
  • Breuillard, H., et al. (författare)
  • New Insights into the Nature of Turbulence in the Earth's Magnetosheath Using Magnetospheric MultiScale Mission Data
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 859:2
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The Earth's magnetosheath, which is characterized by highly turbulent fluctuations, is usually divided into two regions of different properties as a function of the angle between the interplanetary magnetic field and the shock normal. In this study, we make use of high-time resolution instruments on board the Magnetospheric MultiScale spacecraft to determine and compare the properties of subsolar magnetosheath turbulence in both regions, i. e., downstream of the quasi-parallel and quasi-perpendicular bow shocks. In particular, we take advantage of the unprecedented temporal resolution of the Fast Plasma Investigation instrument to show the density fluctuations down to sub-ion scales for the first time. We show that the nature of turbulence is highly compressible down to electron scales, particularly in the quasi-parallel magnetosheath. In this region, the magnetic turbulence also shows an inertial (Kolmogorov-like) range, indicating that the fluctuations are not formed locally, in contrast with the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath. We also show that the electromagnetic turbulence is dominated by electric fluctuations at sub-ion scales (f > 1Hz) and that magnetic and electric spectra steepen at the largest-electron scale. The latter indicates a change in the nature of turbulence at electron scales. Finally, we show that the electric fluctuations around the electron gyrofrequency are mostly parallel in the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath, where intense whistlers are observed. This result suggests that energy dissipation, plasma heating, and acceleration might be driven by intense electrostatic parallel structures/waves, which can be linked to whistler waves.
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9.
  • Breuillard, H., et al. (författare)
  • The Properties of Lion Roars and Electron Dynamics in Mirror Mode Waves Observed by the Magnetospheric MultiScale Mission
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 123:1, s. 93-103
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Mirror mode waves are ubiquitous in the Earth's magnetosheath, in particular behind the quasi-perpendicular shock. Embedded in these nonlinear structures, intense lion roars are often observed. Lion roars are characterized by whistler wave packets at a frequency similar to 100Hz, which are thought to be generated in the magnetic field minima. In this study, we make use of the high time resolution instruments on board the Magnetospheric MultiScale mission to investigate these waves and the associated electron dynamics in the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath on 22 January 2016. We show that despite a core electron parallel anisotropy, lion roars can be generated locally in the range 0.05-0.2f(ce) by the perpendicular anisotropy of electrons in a particular energy range. We also show that intense lion roars can be observed up to higher frequencies due to the sharp nonlinear peaks of the signal, which appear as sharp spikes in the dynamic spectra. As a result, a high sampling rate is needed to estimate correctly their amplitude, and the latter might have been underestimated in previous studies using lower time resolution instruments. We also present for the first-time 3-D high time resolution electron velocity distribution functions in mirror modes. We demonstrate that the dynamics of electrons trapped in the mirror mode structures are consistent with the Kivelson and Southwood (1996) model. However, these electrons can also interact with the embedded lion roars: first signatures of electron quasi-linear pitch angle diffusion and possible signatures of nonlinear interaction with high-amplitude wave packets are presented. These processes can lead to electron untrapping from mirror modes.
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10.
  • Burch, J. L., et al. (författare)
  • Localized Oscillatory Energy Conversion in Magnetopause Reconnection
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 45:3, s. 1237-1245
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Data from the NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale mission are used to investigate asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the dayside boundary between the Earth's magnetosphere and the solar wind. High-resolution measurements of plasmas and fields are used to identify highly localized (similar to 15 electron Debye lengths) standing wave structures with large electric field amplitudes (up to 100 mV/m). These wave structures are associated with spatially oscillatory energy conversion, which appears as alternatingly positive and negative values of J . E. For small guide magnetic fields the wave structures occur in the electron stagnation region at the magnetosphere edge of the electron diffusion region. For larger guide fields the structures also occur near the reconnection X-line. This difference is explained in terms of channels for the out-of-plane current (agyrotropic electrons at the stagnation point and guide field-aligned electrons at the X-line).
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11.
  • Chen, Li-Jen, et al. (författare)
  • Electron energization and mixing observed by MMS in the vicinity of an electron diffusion region during magnetopause reconnection
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:12, s. 6036-6043
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Measurements from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission are reported to show distinct features of electron energization and mixing in the diffusion region of the terrestrial magnetopause reconnection. At the ion jet and magnetic field reversals, distribution functions exhibiting signatures of accelerated meandering electrons are observed at an electron out-of-plane flow peak. The meandering signatures manifested as triangular and crescent structures are established features of the electron diffusion region (EDR). Effects of meandering electrons on the electric field normal to the reconnection layer are detected. Parallel acceleration and mixing of the inflowing electrons with exhaust electrons shape the exhaust flow pattern. In the EDR vicinity, the measured distribution functions indicate that locally, the electron energization and mixing physics is captured by two-dimensional reconnection, yet to account for the simultaneous four-point measurements, translational invariant in the third dimension must be violated on the ion-skin-depth scale.
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12.
  • Ergun, R. E., et al. (författare)
  • Drift waves, intense parallel electric fields, and turbulence associated with asymmetric magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause
  • 2017
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 44:7, s. 2978-2986
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Observations of magnetic reconnection at Earth's magnetopause often display asymmetric structures that are accompanied by strong magnetic field (B) fluctuations and large-amplitude parallel electric fields (E-||). The B turbulence is most intense at frequencies above the ion cyclotron frequency and below the lower hybrid frequency. The B fluctuations are consistent with a thin, oscillating current sheet that is corrugated along the electron flow direction (along the X line), which is a type of electromagnetic drift wave. Near the X line, electron flow is primarily due to a Hall electric field, which diverts ion flow in asymmetric reconnection and accompanies the instability. Importantly, the drift waves appear to drive strong parallel currents which, in turn, generate large-amplitude (similar to 100mV/m) E-|| in the form of nonlinear waves and structures. These observations suggest that turbulence may be common in asymmetric reconnection, penetrate into the electron diffusion region, and possibly influence the magnetic reconnection process.
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13.
  • Ergun, R. E., et al. (författare)
  • Magnetic Reconnection in Three Dimensions : Observations of Electromagnetic Drift Waves in the Adjacent Current Sheet
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 124:12, s. 10104-10118
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Magnetic reconnection at the subsolar magnetopause is persistently accompanied by strong fluctuations of the magnetic field (B), plasma density (n), and all components of the electric field (E) and current (J). The strongest fluctuations are at frequencies below the lower hybrid frequency and observed in a thin, intense current sheet adjacent to the electron diffusion region. In this current sheet, the background magnitudes of B and n are changing considerably, creating an inhomogeneous plasma environment. We show that the fluctuations in B and n are consistent with an oscillatory displacement of the current sheet in the surface normal direction. The displacement is propagating parallel to the magnetic reconnection X line. Wavelengths are on the order of or longer than the thickness of the current sheet to which they are confined, so we label these waves electromagnetic drift waves. E and J fluctuations are more complex than a simple displacement. They have significant variations in the component along B, which suggest that the drift waves also may be confined along B. The current sheet is supported by an electron drift driven by normal electric field, which, in turn, is balanced by an ion pressure gradient. We suggest that wave growth comes from an instability related to the drift between the electrons and ions. We discuss the possibility that drift waves can displace or penetrate into the electron diffusion region giving magnetic reconnection three-dimensional structure. Drift waves may corrugate the X line, possibly breaking the X line and generating turbulence.
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14.
  • Eriksson, Elin, et al. (författare)
  • Strong current sheet at a magnetosheath jet : Kinetic structure and electron acceleration
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 121:10, s. 9608-9618
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Localized kinetic-scale regions of strong current are believed to play an important role in plasma thermalization and particle acceleration in turbulent plasmas. We present a detailed study of a strong localized current, 4900 nA m(-2), located at a fast plasma jet observed in the magnetosheath downstream of a quasi-parallel shock. The thickness of the current region is similar to 3 ion inertial lengths and forms at a boundary separating magnetosheath-like and solar wind-like plasmas. On ion scales the current region has the shape of a sheet with a significant average normal magnetic field component but shows strong variations on smaller scales. The dynamic pressure within the magnetosheath jet is over 3 times the solar wind dynamic pressure. We suggest that the current sheet is forming due to high velocity shears associated with the jet. Inside the current sheet we observe local electron acceleration, producing electron beams, along the magnetic field. However, there is no clear sign of ongoing reconnection. At higher energies, above the beam energy, we observe a loss cone consistent with part of the hot magnetosheath-like electrons escaping into the colder solar wind-like plasma. This suggests that the acceleration process within the current sheet is similar to the one that occurs at shocks, where electron beams and loss cones are also observed. Therefore, electron beams observed in the magnetosheath do not have to originate from the bow shock but can also be generated locally inside the magnetosheath.
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15.
  • Gao, C. -H, et al. (författare)
  • Effect of the Electric Field on the Agyrotropic Electron Distributions
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 48:5
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We investigate agyrotropic electron distributions from two magnetopause events observed by magnetospheric multiscale (MMS) spacecraft. Agyrotropic electron distributions can be generated by the finite electron gyration at an electron-scale boundary, and the electric field normal to this boundary usually contributes to the electron acceleration to make the agyrotropic distributions more apparent. The effect of the electric field becomes important only when it is sufficiently strong and local, meaning its electrostatic potential is comparable to or larger than the electron temperature, and its width is smaller than the electron thermal gyroradius, so that this electric field can directly accelerate part of the electrons out of the original core to form agyrotropic electron distributions. Also, we reproduce the measured electron "finger" structures from test particle simulations, which can be effectively suppressed by increasing the sampling rate of the electron measurement. Plain Language Summary Agyrotropic electron distributions reveal valuable information of electron dynamics at electron scales, and the generation of these distributions have been extensively studied. In this study, we provide a new possibility to generate agyrotropic electron distributions with a strong localized electric field, which can accelerate part of electrons out of the original electron core to form agyrotropic distributions. As such large-amplitude small-scale electric field fluctuations are frequently observed in turbulent plasma environments, we suggest that more agyrotropic electron distributions can be observed with high temporal resolution measurements.
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16.
  • Giagkiozis, Stefanos, et al. (författare)
  • Statistical Study of the Properties of Magnetosheath Lion Roars
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 123:7, s. 5435-5451
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Lion roars are narrowband whistler wave emissions that have been observed in several environments, such as planetary magnetosheaths, the Earth's magnetosphere, the solar wind, downstream of interplanetary shocks, and the cusp region. We present measurements of more than 30,000 such emissions observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft with high-cadence (8,192 samples/s) search coil magnetometer data. A semiautomatic algorithm was used to identify the emissions, and an adaptive interval algorithm in conjunction with minimum variance analysis was used to determine their wave vector. The properties of the waves are determined in both the spacecraft and plasma rest frame. The mean wave normal angle, with respect to the background magnetic field (B-0), plasma bulk flow velocity (V-b), and the coplanarity plane (V-b x B-0) are 23 degrees, 56 degrees, and 0 degrees, respectively. The average peak frequencies were similar to 31% of the electron gyrofrequency (omega(ce)) observed in the spacecraft frame and similar to 18% of omega(ce) in the plasma rest frame. In the spacecraft frame, similar to 99% of the emissions had a frequency < omega(ce), while 98% had a peak frequency < 0.72 omega(ce) in the plasma rest frame. None of the waves had frequencies lower than the lower hybrid frequency, omega. From the probability density function of the electron plasma beta(e), the ratio between the electron thermal and magnetic pressure, similar to 99.6% of the waves were observed with beta(e) < 4 with a large narrow peak at 0.07 and two smaller, but wider, peaks at 1.26 and 2.28, while the average value was similar to 1.25.
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17.
  • Gingell, Imogen, et al. (författare)
  • MMS Observations and Hybrid Simulations of Surface Ripples at a Marginally Quasi-Parallel Shock
  • 2017
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 122:11, s. 11003-11017
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Simulations and observations of collisionless shocks have shown that deviations of the nominal local shock normal orientation, that is, surface waves or ripples, are expected to propagate in the ramp and overshoot of quasi-perpendicular shocks. Here we identify signatures of a surface ripple propagating during a crossing of Earth's marginally quasi-parallel (theta(Bn) similar to 45 degrees) or quasi-parallel bow shock on 27 November 2015 06: 01: 44 UTC by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission and determine the ripple's properties using multispacecraft methods. Using two-dimensional hybrid simulations, we confirm that surface ripples are a feature of marginally quasi-parallel and quasi-parallel shocks under the observed solar wind conditions. In addition, since these marginally quasi-parallel and quasi-parallel shocks are expected to undergo a cyclic reformation of the shock front, we discuss the impact of multiple sources of nonstationarity on shock structure. Importantly, ripples are shown to be transient phenomena, developing faster than an ion gyroperiod and only during the period of the reformation cycle when a newly developed shock ramp is unaffected by turbulence in the foot. We conclude that the change in properties of the ripple observed by MMS is consistent with the reformation of the shock front over a time scale of an ion gyroperiod.
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18.
  • Goodrich, Katherine A., et al. (författare)
  • MMS Multipoint electric field observations of small-scale magnetic holes
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:12, s. 5953-5959
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Small-scale magnetic holes (MHs), local depletions in magnetic field strength, have been observed multiple times in the Earth's magnetosphere in the bursty bulk flow (BBF) braking region. This particular subset of MHs has observed scale sizes perpendicular to the background magnetic field (B) less than the ambient ion Larmor radius (rho(i)). Previous observations by Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) indicate that this subset of MHs can be supported by a current driven by the E x B drift of electrons. Ions do not participate in the E x B drift due to the small-scale size of the electric field. While in the BBF braking region, during its commissioning phase, the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft observed a small-scale MH. The electric field observations taken during this event suggest the presence of electron currents perpendicular to the magnetic field. These observations also suggest that these currents can evolve to smaller spatial scales.
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19.
  • Goodrich, Katherine A., et al. (författare)
  • MMS Observations of Electrostatic Waves in an Oblique Shock Crossing
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 123:11, s. 9430-9442
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • High-resolution particle and wave measurements taken during an oblique bow shock crossing by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission are analyzed. Two regions of differing magnetic behavior are identified within the shock, one with active magnetic fluctuations and one with laminar interplanetary magnetic field topology. A prominent reflected ion population is observed in both regions. The active magnetic region is characterized by large-amplitude (>100 mV/m) electrostatic solitary waves, electron Bernstein waves, and ion acoustic waves, along with intermittent current activity and localized electron heating. In the region of laminar magnetic field, ion acoustic waves are prominently observed. Solar wind ion deceleration is observed in both regions of active and laminar magnetic field. All observations suggest that solar wind deceleration can occur as a result of multiple independent processes, in this case current and ion-ion instabilities.
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20.
  • Graham, Daniel B., et al. (författare)
  • Electron currents and heating in the ion diffusion region of asymmetric reconnection
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:10, s. 4691-4700
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • In this letter the structure of the ion diffusion region of magnetic reconnection at Earth's magnetopause is investigated using the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft. The ion diffusion region is characterized by a strong DC electric field, approximately equal to the Hall electric field, intense currents, and electron heating parallel to the background magnetic field. Current structures well below ion spatial scales are resolved, and the electron motion associated with lower hybrid drift waves is shown to contribute significantly to the total current density. The electron heating is shown to be consistent with large-scale parallel electric fields trapping and accelerating electrons, rather than wave-particle interactions. These results show that sub-ion scale processes occur in the ion diffusion region and are important for understanding electron heating and acceleration.
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21.
  • Graham, Daniel B., et al. (författare)
  • Enhanced Escape of Spacecraft Photoelectrons Caused by Langmuir and Upper Hybrid Waves
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 123:9, s. 7534-7553
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The spacecraft potential is often used to infer rapid changes in the thermal plasma density. The variations in spacecraft potential associated with large-amplitude Langmuir and upper hybrid waves are investigated with the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. When large-amplitude Langmuir and upper hybrid waves are observed, the spacecraft potential increases. The changes in spacecraft potential are shown to be due to enhanced photoelectron escape from the spacecraft when the wave electric fields reach large amplitude. The fluctuations in spacecraft potential follow the envelope function of the Langmuir and upper hybrid waves. Comparison with the high-resolution electron moments shows that the changes in spacecraft potential associated with the waves are not due to density perturbations. Indeed, using the spacecraft potential as a density probe leads to unphysically large density fluctuations. In addition, the changes in spacecraft potential are shown to increase as density decreases: larger spacecraft potential changes are observed in the magnetosphere, than in the magnetosheath and solar wind. These results show that external electric fields can lead to unphysical results when the spacecraft potential is used as a density probe. The results suggest that fluctuations in the spacecraft potential alone cannot be used to determine whether nonlinear processes associated with Langmuir and upper hybrid waves, such as the ponderomotive force and three-wave decay, are occurring.
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22.
  • Graham, Daniel B., et al. (författare)
  • Instability of Agyrotropic Electron Beams near the Electron Diffusion Region
  • 2017
  • Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - : American Physical Society. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 119:2
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • During a magnetopause crossing the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft encountered an electron diffusion region (EDR) of asymmetric reconnection. The EDR is characterized by agyrotropic beam and crescent electron distributions perpendicular to the magnetic field. Intense upper-hybrid (UH) waves are found at the boundary between the EDR and magnetosheath inflow region. The UH waves are generated by the agyrotropic electron beams. The UH waves are sufficiently large to contribute to electron diffusion and scattering, and are a potential source of radio emission near the EDR. These results provide observational evidence of wave-particle interactions at an EDR, and suggest that waves play an important role in determining the electron dynamics.
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23.
  • Graham, Daniel B., et al. (författare)
  • Large-Amplitude High-Frequency Waves at Earth's Magnetopause
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 123:4, s. 2630-2657
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Large-amplitude waves near the electron plasma frequency are found by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission near Earth's magnetopause. The waves are identified as Langmuir and upper hybrid (UH) waves, with wave vectors either close to parallel or close to perpendicular to the background magnetic field. The waves are found all along the magnetopause equatorial plane, including both flanks and close to the subsolar point. The waves reach very large amplitudes, up to 1Vm(-1), and are thus among the most intense electric fields observed at Earth's magnetopause. In the magnetosphere and on the magnetospheric side of the magnetopause the waves are predominantly UH waves although Langmuir waves are also found. When the plasma is very weakly magnetized only Langmuir waves are likely to be found. Both Langmuir and UH waves are shown to have electromagnetic components, which are consistent with predictions from kinetic wave theory. These results show that the magnetopause and magnetosphere are often unstable to intense wave activity near the electron plasma frequency. These waves provide a possible source of radio emission at the magnetopause.
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24.
  • Graham, Daniel B., et al. (författare)
  • Lower hybrid waves in the ion diffusion and magnetospheric inflow regions
  • 2017
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 122:1, s. 517-533
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The role and properties of lower hybrid waves in the ion diffusion region and magnetospheric inflow region of asymmetric reconnection are investigated using the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. Two distinct groups of lower hybrid waves are observed in the ion diffusion region and magnetospheric inflow region, which have distinct properties and propagate in opposite directions along the magnetopause. One group develops near the ion edge in the magnetospheric inflow, where magnetosheath ions enter the magnetosphere through the finite gyroradius effect and are driven by the ion-ion cross-field instability due to the interaction between the magnetosheath ions and cold magnetospheric ions. This leads to heating of the cold magnetospheric ions. The second group develops at the sharpest density gradient, where the Hall electric field is observed and is driven by the lower hybrid drift instability. These drift waves produce cross-field particle diffusion, enabling magnetosheath electrons to enter the magnetospheric inflow region thereby broadening the density gradient in the ion diffusion region.
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25.
  • Graham, Daniel B., et al. (författare)
  • Non-Maxwellianity of Electron Distributions Near Earth's Magnetopause
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 126:10
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Plasmas in Earth's outer magnetosphere, magnetosheath, and solar wind are essentially collisionless. This means particle distributions are not typically in thermodynamic equilibrium and deviate significantly from Maxwellian distributions. The deviations of these distributions can be further enhanced by plasma processes, such as shocks, turbulence, and magnetic reconnection. Such distributions can be unstable to a wide variety of kinetic plasma instabilities, which in turn modify the electron distributions. In this paper, the deviation of the observed electron distributions from a bi-Maxwellian distribution function is calculated and quantified using data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft. A statistical study from tens of millions of electron distributions shows that the primary source of the observed non-Maxwellianity is electron distributions consisting of distinct hot and cold components in Earth's low-density magnetosphere. This results in large non-Maxwellianities at low densities. However, after performing a statistical study we find regions where large non-Maxwellianities are observed for a given density. Highly non-Maxwellian distributions are routinely found at Earth's bowshock, in Earth's outer magnetosphere and in the electron diffusion regions of magnetic reconnection. Enhanced non-Maxwellianities are observed in the turbulent magnetosheath, but are intermittent and are typically not correlated with local processes. The causes of enhanced non-Maxwellianities are investigated.
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26.
  • Graham, Daniel B., et al. (författare)
  • Universality of Lower Hybrid Waves at Earth's Magnetopause
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 124:11, s. 8727-8760
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Waves around the lower hybrid frequency are frequently observed at Earth's magnetopause and readily reach very large amplitudes. Determining the properties of lower hybrid waves is crucial because they are thought to contribute to electron and ion heating, cross‐field particle diffusion, anomalous resistivity, and energy transfer between electrons and ions. All these processes could play an important role in magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause and the evolution of the boundary layer. In this paper, the properties of lower hybrid waves at Earth's magnetopause are investigated using the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. For the first time, the properties of the waves are investigated using fields and direct particle measurements. The highest‐resolution electron moments resolve the velocity and density fluctuations of lower hybrid waves, confirming that electrons remain approximately frozen in at lower hybrid wave frequencies. Using fields and particle moments, the dispersion relation is constructed and the wave‐normal angle is estimated to be close to 90° to the background magnetic field. The waves are shown to have a finite parallel wave vector, suggesting that they can interact with parallel propagating electrons. The observed wave properties are shown to agree with theoretical predictions, the previously used single‐spacecraft method, and four‐spacecraft timing analyses. These results show that single‐spacecraft methods can accurately determine lower hybrid wave properties.
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27.
  • Hwang, K.-J., et al. (författare)
  • Bifurcated Current Sheet Observed on the Boundary of Kelvin-Helmholtz Vortices
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-987X. ; 8
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • On May 5, 2017 MMS observed a bifurcated current sheet at the boundary of Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices (KHVs) developed on the dawnside tailward magnetopause. We use the event to enhance our understanding of the formation and structure of asymmetric current sheets in the presence of density asymmetry, flow shear, and guide field, which have been rarely studied. The entire current layer comprises three separate current sheets, each corresponding to magnetosphere-side sunward separatrix region, central near-X-line region, and magnetosheath-side tailward separatrix region. Two off-center structures are identified as slow-mode discontinuities. All three current sheets have a thickness of ∼0.2 ion inertial length, demonstrating the sub-ion-scale current layer, where electrons mainly carry the current. We find that both the diamagnetic and electron anisotropy currents substantially support the bifurcated currents in the presence of density asymmetry and weak velocity shear. The combined effects of strong guide field, low density asymmetry, and weak flow shear appear to lead to asymmetries in the streamlines and the current-layer structure of the quadrupolar reconnection geometry. We also investigate intense electrostatics waves observed on the magnetosheath side of the KHV boundary. These waves may pre-heat a magnetosheath population that is to participate into the reconnection process, leading to two-step energization of the magnetosheath plasma entering into the magnetosphere via KHV-driven reconnection.
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28.
  • Hwang, K-J, et al. (författare)
  • Magnetic Reconnection Inside a Flux Rope Induced by Kelvin-Helmholtz Vortices
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 125:4
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • On 5 May 2017, MMS observed a crater-type flux rope on the dawnside tailward magnetopause with fluctuations. The boundary-normal analysis shows that the fluctuations can be attributed to nonlinear Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) waves. Reconnection signatures such as flow reversals and Joule dissipation were identified at the leading and trailing edges of the flux rope. In particular, strong northward electron jets observed at the trailing edge indicated midlatitude reconnection associated with the 3-D structure of the KH vortex. The scale size of the flux rope, together with reconnection signatures, strongly supports the interpretation that the flux rope was generated locally by KH vortex-induced reconnection. The center of the flux rope also displayed signatures of guide-field reconnection (out-of-plane electron jets, parallel electron heating, and Joule dissipation). These signatures indicate that an interface between two interlinked flux tubes was undergoing interaction, causing a local magnetic depression, resulting in an M-shaped crater flux rope, as supported by reconstruction.
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29.
  • Hwang, K. -J, et al. (författare)
  • Microscale Processes Determining Macroscale Evolution of Magnetic Flux Tubes along Earth's Magnetopause
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 914:1
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • An important process affecting solar wind-Earth's magnetosphere coupling is nonsteady dayside magnetic reconnection, observationally evidenced by a flux transfer event (FTE) that shows a bipolar variation of the magnetic field component normal to the magnetopause. FTEs often consist of two interlinked flux tubes, but, local kinetic processes between the flux tubes are not understood in the context of the FTE structuring, evolution, and impact. An FTE observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission on 2017 December 18 consisted of two flux tubes of different topology. One includes field lines with ends connected to the northern and southern hemispheres while the other includes field lines with both ends connected to the magnetosheath. Reconnection occurring at the flux-tube interface indicates how interacting flux tubes evolve into a flux rope with helical magnetic topology that is either closed or open. This study demonstrates a new aspect of how micro- to meso-scale dynamics occurring within FTEs determines their macroscale characteristics and evolution.
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30.
  • Kacem, I., et al. (författare)
  • Magnetic Reconnection at a Thin Current Sheet Separating Two Interlaced Flux Tubes at the Earth's Magnetopause
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 123:3, s. 1779-1793
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The occurrence of spatially and temporally variable reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause leads to the complex interaction of magnetic fields from the magnetosphere and magnetosheath. Flux transfer events (FTEs) constitute one such type of interaction. Their main characteristics are (1) an enhanced core magnetic field magnitude and (2) a bipolar magnetic field signature in the component normal to the magnetopause, reminiscent of a large-scale helicoidal flux tube magnetic configuration. However, other geometrical configurations which do not fit this classical picture have also been observed. Using high-resolution measurements from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, we investigate an event in the vicinity of the Earth's magnetopause on 7 November 2015. Despite signatures that, at first glance, appear consistent with a classic FTE, based on detailed geometrical and dynamical analyses as well as on topological signatures revealed by suprathermal electron properties, we demonstrate that this event is not consistent with a single, homogenous helicoidal structure. Our analysis rather suggests that it consists of the interaction of two separate sets of magnetic field lines with different connectivities. This complex three-dimensional interaction constructively conspires to produce signatures partially consistent with that of an FTE. We also show that, at the interface between the two sets of field lines, where the observed magnetic pileup occurs, a thin and strong current sheet forms with a large ion jet, which may be consistent with magnetic flux dissipation through magnetic reconnection in the interaction region.
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31.
  • Karlsson, Tomas, et al. (författare)
  • Investigating the anatomy of magnetosheath jets - MMS observations
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : COPERNICUS GESELLSCHAFT MBH. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 36:2, s. 655-677
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We use Magnetosphere Multiscale (MMS) mission data to investigate a small number of magnetosheath jets, which are localized and transient increases in dynamic pressure, typically due to a combined increase in plasma velocity and density. For two approximately hour-long intervals in November, 2015 we found six jets, which are of two distinct types. (a) Two of the jets are associated with the magnetic field discontinuities at the boundary between the quasi-parallel and quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath. Straddling the boundary, the leading part of these jets contains an ion population similar to the quasi-parallel magnetosheath, while the trailing part contains ion populations similar to the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath. Both populations are, however, cooler than the surrounding ion populations. These two jets also have clear increases in plasma density and magnetic field strength, correlated with a velocity increase. (b) Three of the jets are found embedded within the quasi-parallel magnetosheath. They contain ion populations similar to the surrounding quasi-parallel magnetosheath, but with a lower temperature. Out of these three jets, two have a simple structure. For these two jets, the increases in density and magnetic field strength are correlated with the dynamic pressure increases. The other jet has a more complicated structure, and no clear correlations between density, magnetic field strength and dynamic pressure. This jet has likely interacted with the magnetosphere, and contains ions similar to the jets inside the quasi-parallel magnetosheath, but shows signs of adiabatic heating. All jets are associated with emissions of whistler, lower hybrid, and broadband electrostatic waves, as well as approximately 10 s period electromagnetic waves with a compressional component. The latter have a Poynting flux of up to 40 mu Wm(-2) and may be energetically important for the evolution of the jets, depending on the wave excitation mechanism. Only one of the jets is likely to have modified the surrounding magnetic field into a stretched configuration, as has recently been reported in other studies. None of the jets are associated with clear signatures of either magnetic or thermal pressure gradient forces acting on them. The different properties of the two types also point to different generation mechanisms, which are discussed here. Their different properties and origins suggest that the two types of jets need to be separated in future statistical and simulation studies.
  •  
32.
  • Khotyaintsev, Yu, V, et al. (författare)
  • Electron Heating by Debye-Scale Turbulence in Guide-Field Reconnection
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - : AMER PHYSICAL SOC. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 124:4
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report electrostatic Debye-scale turbulence developing within the diffusion region of asymmetric magnetopause reconnection with amoderate guide field using observations by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. We show that Buneman waves and beam modes cause efficient and fast thermalization of the reconnection electron jet by irreversible phase mixing, during which the jet kinetic energy is transferred into thermal energy. Our results show that the reconnection diffusion region in the presence of a moderate guide field is highly turbulent, and that electrostatic turbulence plays an important role in electron heating.
  •  
33.
  • Lavraud, B., et al. (författare)
  • Currents and associated electron scattering and bouncing near the diffusion region at Earth's magnetopause
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:7, s. 3042-3050
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Based on high-resolution measurements from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, we present the dynamics of electrons associated with current systems observed near the diffusion region of magnetic reconnection at Earth's magnetopause. Using pitch angle distributions (PAD) and magnetic curvature analysis, we demonstrate the occurrence of electron scattering in the curved magnetic field of the diffusion region down to energies of 20 eV. We show that scattering occurs closer to the current sheet as the electron energy decreases. The scattering of inflowing electrons, associated with field-aligned electrostatic potentials and Hall currents, produces a new population of scattered electrons with broader PAD which bounce back and forth in the exhaust. Except at the center of the diffusion region the two populations are collocated and appear to behave adiabatically: the inflowing electron PAD focuses inward (toward lower magnetic field), while the bouncing population PAD gradually peaks at 90 degrees away from the center (where it mirrors owing to higher magnetic field and probable field-aligned potentials).
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34.
  • Le Contel, O., et al. (författare)
  • Lower Hybrid Drift Waves and Electromagnetic Electron Space-Phase Holes Associated With Dipolarization Fronts and Field-Aligned Currents Observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission During a Substorm
  • 2017
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 122:12, s. 12236-12257
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We analyze two ion scale dipolarization fronts associated with field-aligned currents detected by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission during a large substorm on 10 August 2016. The first event corresponds to a fast dawnward flow with an antiparallel current and could be generated by the wake of a previous fast earthward flow. It is associated with intense lower hybrid drift waves detected at the front and propagating dawnward with a perpendicular phase speed close to the electric drift and the ion thermal velocity. The second event corresponds to a flow reversal: from southwward/dawnward to northward/duskward associated with a parallel current consistent with a brief expansion of the plasma sheet before the front crossing and with a smaller lower hybrid drift wave activity. Electromagnetic electron phase-space holes are detected near these low-frequency drift waves during both events. The drift waves could accelerate electrons parallel to the magnetic field and produce the parallel electron drift needed to generate the electron holes. Yet we cannot rule out the possibility that the drift waves are produced by the antiparallel current associated with the fast flows, leaving the source for the electron holes unexplained.
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35.
  • Le Contel, O., et al. (författare)
  • Whistler mode waves and Hall fields detected by MMS during a dayside magnetopause crossing
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:12, s. 5943-5952
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission measurements during a full magnetopause crossing associated with an enhanced southward ion flow. A quasi-steady magnetospheric whistler mode wave emission propagating toward the reconnection region with quasi-parallel and oblique wave angles is detected just before the opening of the magnetic field lines and the detection of escaping energetic electrons. Its source is likely the perpendicular temperature anisotropy of magnetospheric energetic electrons. In this region, perpendicular and parallel currents as well as the Hall electric field are calculated and found to be consistent with the decoupling of ions from the magnetic field and the crossing of a magnetospheric separatrix region. On the magnetosheath side, Hall electric fields are found smaller as the density is larger but still consistent with the decoupling of ions. Intense quasi-parallel whistler wave emissions are detected propagating both toward and away from the reconnection region in association with a perpendicular anisotropy of the high-energy part of the magnetosheath electron population and a strong perpendicular current, which suggests that in addition to the electron diffusion region, magnetosheath separatrices could be a source region for whistler waves.
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36.
  • Li, Tongkuai, et al. (författare)
  • Kelvin-Helmholtz Waves and Magnetic Reconnection at the Earth's Magnetopause Under Southward Interplanetary Magnetic Field
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 50:20
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations of a K-H wave event under southward IMF conditions, accompanied by ongoing magnetic reconnection. The nonlinear K-H waves are characterized by quasi-periodic fluctuations, the presence of low-density and high-speed ions, and variations in the boundary normal vectors at both the leading and trailing edges. Our observations reveal clear evidence of on-going magnetic reconnection through the identification of Alfvenic ion jets and the escape of energetic magnetospheric electrons. Among the 36 magnetopause current-sheet crossings in this event, 19 exhibit unambiguous signatures of reconnection at both the leading (7) and trailing (12) edges. Notably, the estimated current-sheet thicknesses at both edges are comparable to the ion-inertial scale, confirming the compression effect resulting from the large-scale evolution of the K-H waves. The reconnection jets potentially contribute to the suppression of K-H growth through boundary-layer broadening and the development of complex flow and magnetic field patterns.
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37.
  • Li, Wenya, et al. (författare)
  • Kinetic evidence of magnetic reconnection due to Kelvin-Helmholtz waves
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:11, s. 5635-5643
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability at the Earth's magnetopause is predominantly excited during northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Magnetic reconnection due to KH waves has been suggested as one of the mechanisms to transfer solar wind plasma into the magnetosphere. We investigate KH waves observed at the magnetopause by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission; in particular, we study the trailing edges of KH waves with Alfvenic ion jets. We observe gradual mixing of magnetospheric and magnetosheath ions at the boundary layer. The magnetospheric electrons with energy up to 80keV are observed on the magnetosheath side of the jets, which indicates that they escape into the magnetosheath through reconnected magnetic field lines. At the same time, the low-energy (below 100eV) magnetosheath electrons enter the magnetosphere and are heated in the field-aligned direction at the high-density edge of the jets. Our observations provide unambiguous kinetic evidence for ongoing reconnection due to KH waves.
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38.
  • Li, Wenya, et al. (författare)
  • Upper-Hybrid Waves Driven by Meandering Electrons Around Magnetic Reconnection X Line
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 48:16
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process in collisionless space plasma environment, and plasma waves relevant to the kinetic interactions can have a significant impact on the multiscale behavior of reconnection. Here, we present Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations during an encounter of an X line of symmetric magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail. The X line is characterized by reversals of ion and electron jets and electromagnetic fields, agyrotropic electron velocity distribution functions (VDFs), and an electron-scale current sheet. MMS observe large-amplitude nonlinear upper-hybrid (UH) waves on both sides of the neutral line, and the wave amplitudes have highly localized distribution along the normal direction. The inbound meandering electrons drive the UH waves, releasing the free energy stored from the reconnection electric field along the meandering trajectories. The interaction between the meandering electrons and the UH waves may modify the balance of the reconnection electric field around the X line. Plain Language Summary The electron-scale kinetic physics in the electron diffusion region (EDR) controls how magnetic field lines break and reconnect. Electron crescent, an indicator of EDR, can drive high-frequency electrostatic waves around EDR. For the first time, the upper-hybrid (UH) waves are observed on both sides of the X line and we show the direct association between the UH waves and the reconnection electric field. The strong wave-electron interaction can change the electron-scale dynamics and may modify the reconnection electric field. This study demonstrates that the UH waves may play an important role in controlling the reconnection rate.
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39.
  • Li, W. Y., et al. (författare)
  • Electron Bernstein waves driven by electron crescents near the electron diffusion region
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Nature Research. - 2041-1723. ; 11:1
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft encounter an electron diffusion region (EDR) of asymmetric magnetic reconnection at Earth’s magnetopause. The EDR is characterized by agyrotropic electron velocity distributions on both sides of the neutral line. Various types of plasma waves are produced by the magnetic reconnection in and near the EDR. Here we report large-amplitude electron Bernstein waves (EBWs) at the electron-scale boundary of the Hall current reversal. The finite gyroradius effect of the outflow electrons generates the crescent-shaped agyrotropic electron distributions, which drive the EBWs. The EBWs propagate toward the central EDR. The amplitude of the EBWs is sufficiently large to thermalize and diffuse electrons around the EDR. The EBWs contribute to the cross-field diffusion of the electron-scale boundary of the Hall current reversal near the EDR.
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40.
  • Lindberg, Martin, et al. (författare)
  • Electron Kinetic Entropy across Quasi-Perpendicular Shocks
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Entropy. - : MDPI AG. - 1099-4300. ; 24:6, s. 745-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We use Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) data to study electron kinetic entropy per particle Se across Earth's quasi-perpendicular bow shock. We have selected 22 shock crossings covering a wide range of shock conditions. Measured distribution functions are calibrated and corrected for spacecraft potential, secondary electron contamination, lack of measurements at the lowest energies and electron density measurements based on plasma frequency measurements. All crossings display an increase in electron kinetic entropy across the shock Delta S-e being positive or zero within their error margin. There is a strong dependence of Delta S-e on the change in electron temperature, Delta T-e, and the upstream electron plasma beta, beta(e). Shocks with large Delta T-e have large Delta S-e. Shocks with smaller beta(e) are associated with larger Delta S-e. We use the values of Delta S-e, Delta Te and density change Delta n(e) to determine the effective adiabatic index of electrons for each shock crossing. The average effective adiabatic index is = 1.64 +/- 0.07.
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41.
  • Nakamura, Rumi, et al. (författare)
  • Multiscale Currents Observed by MMS in the Flow Braking Region
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 123:2, s. 1260-1278
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present characteristics of current layers in the off-equatorial near-Earth plasma sheet boundary observed with high time-resolution measurements from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission during an intense substorm associated with multiple dipolarizations. The four Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft, separated by distances of about 50 km, were located in the southern hemisphere in the dusk portion of a substorm current wedge. They observed fast flow disturbances (up to about 500 km/s), most intense in the dawn-dusk direction. Field-aligned currents were observed initially within the expanding plasma sheet, where the flow and field disturbances showed the distinct pattern expected in the braking region of localized flows. Subsequently, intense thin field-aligned current layers were detected at the inner boundary of equatorward moving flux tubes together with Earthward streaming hot ions. Intense Hall current layers were found adjacent to the field-aligned currents. In particular, we found a Hall current structure in the vicinity of the Earthward streaming ion jet that consisted of mixed ion components, that is, hot unmagnetized ions, cold ExB drifting ions, and magnetized electrons. Our observations show that both the near-Earth plasma jet diversion and the thin Hall current layers formed around the reconnection jet boundary are the sites where diversion of the perpendicular currents take place that contribute to the observed field-aligned current pattern as predicted by simulations of reconnection jets. Hence, multiscale structure of flow braking is preserved in the field-aligned currents in the off-equatorial plasma sheet and is also translated to ionosphere to become a part of the substorm field-aligned current system.
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42.
  • Nakamura, Rumi, et al. (författare)
  • Near-Earth plasma sheet boundary dynamics during substorm dipolarization
  • 2017
  • Ingår i: Earth Planets and Space. - : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 1343-8832 .- 1880-5981. ; 69
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We report on the large-scale evolution of dipolarization in the near-Earth plasma sheet during an intense (AL similar to -1000 nT) substorm on August 10, 2016, when multiple spacecraft at radial distances between 4 and 15 RE were present in the night-side magnetosphere. This global dipolarization consisted of multiple short-timescale (a couple of minutes) Bz disturbances detected by spacecraft distributed over 9 MLT, consistent with the large-scale substorm current wedge observed by ground-based magnetometers. The four spacecraft of the Magnetospheric Multiscale were located in the southern hemisphere plasma sheet and observed fast flow disturbances associated with this dipolarization. The high-time-resolution measurements from MMS enable us to detect the rapid motion of the field structures and flow disturbances separately. A distinct pattern of the flow and field disturbance near the plasma boundaries was found. We suggest that a vortex motion created around the localized flows resulted in another fieldaligned current system at the off-equatorial side of the BBF-associated R1/R2 systems, as was predicted by the MHD simulation of a localized reconnection jet. The observations by GOES and Geotail, which were located in the opposite hemisphere and local time, support this view. We demonstrate that the processes of both Earthward flow braking and of accumulated magnetic flux evolving tailward also control the dynamics in the boundary region of the near-Earth plasma sheet.
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43.
  • Nakamura, Rumi, et al. (författare)
  • Structure of the Current Sheet in the 11 July 2017 Electron Diffusion Region Event
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 124:2, s. 1173-1186
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The structure of the current sheet along the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) orbit is examined during the 11 July 2017 Electron Diffusion Region (EDR) event. The location of MMS relative to the X-line is deduced and used to obtain the spatial changes in the electron parameters. The electron velocity gradient values are used to estimate the reconnection electric field sustained by nongyrotropic pressure. It is shown that the observations are consistent with theoretical expectations for an inner EDR in 2-D reconnection. That is, the magnetic field gradient scale, where the electric field due to electron nongyrotropic pressure dominates, is comparable to the gyroscale of the thermal electrons at the edge of the inner EDR. Our approximation of the MMS observations using a steady state, quasi-2-D, tailward retreating X-line was valid only for about 1.4 s. This suggests that the inner EDR is localized; that is, electron outflow jet braking takes place within an ion inertia scale from the X-line. The existence of multiple events or current sheet processes outside the EDR may play an important role in the geometry of reconnection in the near-Earth magnetotail. Plain Language Summary Magnetic reconnection is the process by which magnetic field lines coming from one region are broken and reconnected with magnetic field lines coming from another region. The simplest descriptions of magnetic reconnection are two dimensional, and a number of theoretical predictions have been made using the two-dimensional assumption. We study a magnetic reconnection event observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft on 11 July 2017 and find approximate agreement between the observations and the predictions of a two-dimensional model. The agreement includes the scale size of the reconnection region, details of the particle orbits, and the rate of reconnection.
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44.
  • Norgren, C., et al. (författare)
  • Electron Acceleration and Thermalization at Magnetotail Separatrices
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 125:4
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • In this study we use the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission to investigate the electron acceleration and thermalization occurring along the magnetic reconnection separatrices in the magnetotail. We find that initially cold electron lobe populations are accelerated toward the X line forming beams with energies up to a few kiloelectron volts, corresponding to a substantial fraction of the electron thermal energy inside the exhaust. The accelerated electron populations are unstable to the formation of electrostatic waves which develop into nonlinear electrostatic solitary waves. The waves' amplitudes are large enough to interact efficiently with a large part of the electron population, including the electron beam. The wave-particle interaction gradually thermalizes the beam, transforming directed drift energy to thermal energy.
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45.
  • Norgren, Cecilia, et al. (författare)
  • Electron Reconnection in the Magnetopause Current Layer
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 123:11, s. 9222-9238
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The electron dynamics within thin current sheets plays a key role both for the process of magnetic reconnection and other energy transfer mechanisms but, from an observational point of view, is not well understood. In this paper we report observations of a reconnecting current sheet with intermediate guide field B-G = 0.5B(in), where B-in is the magnetic field amplitude in the inflow regions. The current sheet width is comparable to electron spatial scales. It shows a bifurcated structure and is embedded within the magnetopause current layer with thickness of several ion scales. The electron scale current sheet has strong out-of-plane and in-plane currents, Hall electric and magnetic fields, a finite magnetic field component normal to the current sheet, and nongyrotropic electron distributions formed due to finite gyroradius effects at the boundary of the current sheet. Comparison between test particle simulations and electron data shows that electrons approaching from the edge of the largest magnetic curvature are scattered to perpendicular pitch angles in the center of the current sheet while electrons entering from the opposite side remain close to field aligned. The comparison also shows that an observed depletion in phase space at antiparallel pitch angles can be explained if an out-of-plane electric field, which due to the guide field is close to antiparallel to the magnetic field, is present in the center of the current sheet. This electric field would be consistent with the reconnection electric field, and we therefore interpret the depletion of electron phase space density as a manifestation of ongoing reconnection.
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46.
  • Norgren, Cecilia, et al. (författare)
  • Finite gyroradius effects in the electron outflow of asymmetric magnetic reconnection
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:13, s. 6724-6733
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We present observations of asymmetric magnetic reconnection showing evidence of electron demagnetization in the electron outflow. The observations were made at the magnetopause by the four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft, separated by approximate to 15km. The reconnecting current sheet has negligible guide field, and all four spacecraft likely pass close to the electron diffusion region just south of the X line. In the electron outflow near the X line, all four spacecraft observe highly structured electron distributions in a region comparable to a few electron gyroradii. The distributions consist of a core with T-vertical bar>T and a nongyrotropic crescent perpendicular to the magnetic field. The crescents are associated with finite gyroradius effects of partly demagnetized electrons. These observations clearly demonstrate the manifestation of finite gyroradius effects in an electron-scale reconnection current sheet.
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47.
  • Norgren, C., et al. (författare)
  • Millisecond observations of nonlinear wave-electron interaction in electron phase space holes
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Physics of Plasmas. - : AIP Publishing. - 1070-664X .- 1089-7674. ; 29:1
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Electron phase space holes (EHs) associated with electron trapping are commonly observed as bipolar electric field signatures in both space and laboratory plasma. Until recently, it has not been possible to resolve EHs in electron measurements. We report observations of EHs in the plasma sheet boundary layer, here identified as the separatrix region of magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail. The intense EHs are observed together with an electron beam moving toward the X line, showing signs of thermalization. Using the electron drift instrument onboard the satellites of the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, we make direct millisecond measurements of the electron particle flux associated with individual electron phase space holes. The electron flux is measured at a millisecond cadence in a narrow parallel speed range within that of the trapped electrons. The flux modulations are of order unity and are direct evidence of the strong nonlinear wave-electron interaction that may effectively thermalize beams and contribute to transforming directed drift energy to thermal energy.
  •  
48.
  • Roberts, O. W., et al. (författare)
  • Estimation of the Electron Density From Spacecraft Potential During High-Frequency Electric Field Fluctuations
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 125:9
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Spacecraft potential has often been used to infer electron density with much higher time resolution than is typically possible with plasma instruments. However, recently, two studies by Torkar et al. (2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JA024724) and Graham, Vaivads, Khotyaintsev, Eriksson, et al. (2018, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JA025874) have shown that external electric fields can also have an effect on the spacecraft potential by enhancing photoelectron escape from the surface. Consequently, should the electron density derived from the spacecraft potential be used during an event with a large electric field, the estimation would be contaminated and the user would see the effects of the electric field rather than density perturbations. The goal of this paper is to propose a method to remove the electric field effects to allow the density derived from spacecraft potential to be used even during large-amplitude wave events such as Langmuir waves or upper hybrid waves. Plain Language Summary Spacecraft in a plasma become charged due to a number of processes. Often the two most important processes in determining the charge are due to the ambient plasma and the photoelectron emission from the surface of a sunlit spacecraft. The potential itself is a function of the electron density, and consequently, the potential data can be used to infer the electron density if the photoelectron emission can be modeled. However, in the presence of large electric fields, the photoelectron emission can change with the electric field. This means that rather than see fluctuations of density in the spacecraft potential, the effect of the electric field is seen. Here a method is presented to remove the electric field effect on the spacecraft potential such that the density can be estimated even when there are strong electric fields present.
  •  
49.
  • Schwartz, Steven J., et al. (författare)
  • Ion Kinetics in a Hot Flow Anomaly : MMS Observations
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 45:21, s. 11520-11529
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Hot Flow Anomalies (HFAs) are transients observed at planetary bow shocks, formed by the shock interaction with a convected interplanetary current sheet. The primary interpretation relies on reflected ions channeled upstream along the current sheet. The short duration of HFAs has made direct observations of this process difficult. We employ high resolution measurements by NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission to probe the ion microphysics within a HFA. Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission data reveal a smoothly varying internal density and pressure, which increase toward the trailing edge of the HFA, sweeping up particles trapped within the current sheet. We find remnants of reflected or other backstreaming ions traveling along the current sheet, but most of these are not fast enough to out-run the incident current sheet convection. Despite the high level of internal turbulence, incident and backstreaming ions appear to couple gyro-kinetically in a coherent manner. Plain Language Summary Shock waves in space are responsible for energizing particles and diverting supersonic flows around planets and other obstacles. Explosive events known as Hot Flow Anomalies (HFAs) arise when a rapid change in the interplanetary magnetic field arrives at the bow shock formed by, for example, the supersonic solar wind plasma flow from the Sun impinging on the Earth's magnetic environment. HFAs are known to produce impacts all the way to ground level, but the physics responsible for their formation occur too rapidly to be resolved by previous satellite missions. This paper employs NASA's fleet of four Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites to reveal for the first time clear, discreet populations of ions that interact coherently to produce the extreme heating and deflection.
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50.
  • Tang, B-B, et al. (författare)
  • Electron Mixing and Isotropization in the Exhaust of Asymmetric Magnetic Reconnection With a Guide Field
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 47:14
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • We investigate an exhaust crossing of asymmetric guide field reconnection observed by Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission at Earth's dayside magnetopause. One MMS spacecraft (MMS 4) observes multicomponent electron distributions, including two counterstreaming electron beams, while the other three MMS spacecraft, with a separation of similar to 30 km, record nearly isotropic electron distributions. As counterstreaming electrons are unstable for the electron two-stream instability, our observations suggest that the electrostatic waves generated by the fast-growing electron two-stream instability can contribute to the rapid isotropization of electron distributions in the reconnection exhaust, indicating that wave-particle interactions play an important role in electron dynamics.
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