| 1. |
- Ala-Lahti, Matti M., et al.
(författare)
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Statistical analysis of mirror mode waves in sheath regions driven by interplanetary coronal mass ejection
- 2018
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 36:3, s. 793-808
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present a comprehensive statistical analysis of mirror mode waves and the properties of their plasma surroundings in sheath regions driven by interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME). We have constructed a semi-automated method to identify mirror modes from the magnetic field data. We analyze 91 ICME sheath regions from January 1997 to April 2015 using data from the Wind spacecraft. The results imply that similarly to planetary magnetosheaths, mirror modes are also common structures in ICME sheaths. However, they occur almost exclusively as dip-like structures and in mirror stable plasma. We observe mirror modes throughout the sheath, from the bow shock to the ICME leading edge, but their amplitudes are largest closest to the shock. We also find that the shock strength (measured by Alfven Mach number) is the most important parameter in controlling the occurrence of mirror modes. Our findings suggest that in ICME sheaths the dominant source of free energy for mirror mode generation is the shock compression. We also suggest that mirror modes that are found deeper in the sheath are remnants from earlier times of the sheath evolution, generated also in the vicinity of the shock.
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| 2. |
- Blanco-Cano, Xochitl, et al.
(författare)
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Cavitons and spontaneous hot flow anomalies in a hybrid-Vlasov global magnetospheric simulation
- 2018
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : COPERNICUS GESELLSCHAFT MBH. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 36:4, s. 1081-1097
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this paper we present the first identification of foreshock cavitons and the formation of spontaneous hot flow anomalies (SHFAs) with the Vlasiator global magnetospheric hybrid-Vlasov simulation code. In agreement with previous studies we show that cavitons evolve into SHFAs. In the presented run, this occurs very near the bow shock. We report on SHFAs surviving the shock crossing into the down-stream region and show that the interaction of SHFAs with the bow shock can lead to the formation of a magnetosheath cavity, previously identified in observations and simulations. We report on the first identification of long-term local weakening and erosion of the bow shock, associated with a region of increased foreshock SHFA and caviton formation, and repeated shock crossings by them. We show that SHFAs are linked to an increase in suprathermal particle pitch-angle spreads. The realistic length scales in our simulation allow us to present a statistical study of global caviton and SHFA size distributions, and their comparable size distributions support the theory that SHFAs are formed from cavitons. Virtual spacecraft observations are shown to be in good agreement with observational studies.
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| 3. |
- Brodin, Gert, et al.
(författare)
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Nonlinear wave interactions of kinetic sound waves
- 2015
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 33:8, s. 1007-1010
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We reconsider the nonlinear resonant interaction between three electrostatic waves in a magnetized plasma. The general coupling coefficients derived from kinetic theory are reduced here to the low-frequency limit. The main contribution to the coupling coefficient we find in this way agrees with the coefficient recently presented in Annales Geophysicae. But we also deduce another contribution which sometimes can be important, and which qualitatively agrees with that of an even more recent paper. We have thus demonstrated how results derived from fluid theory can be improved and generalized by means of kinetic theory. Possible extensions of our results are outlined.
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| 4. |
- Dahlgren, Hanna, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Relation of anomalous F region radar echoes in the high-latitude ionosphere to auroral precipitation
- 2017
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : Copernicus Publications. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 35:3, s. 475-479
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Non-thermal echoes in incoherent scatter radar observations are occasionally seen in the high-latitude ionosphere. Such anomalous echoes are a manifestation of plasma instabilities on spatial scales matching the radar wavelength. Here we investigate the occurrence of a class of spatially localized anomalous echoes with an enhanced zero Doppler frequency feature and their relation to auroral particle precipitation. The ionization profile of the E region is used to parametrize the precipitation, with nmE and hmE being the E region peak electron density and the altitude of the peak, respectively. We find the occurrence rate of the echoes to generally increase with nmE and decrease with hmE, thereby indicating a correlation between the echoes and high-energy flux precipitation of particles with a high characteristic energy. The highest occurrence rate of > 20 % is found for hmE = 109 km and nmE = 1011. 9 m−3, averaged over the radar observation volume.
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| 5. |
- Dahlgren, Hanna, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Variations in energy, flux, and brightness of pulsating aurora measured at high time resolution
- 2017
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : COPERNICUS GESELLSCHAFT MBH. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 35:3, s. 493-503
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High-resolution multispectral optical and incoherent scatter radar data are used to study the variability of pulsating aurora. Two events have been analysed, and the data combined with electron transport and ion chemistry modelling provide estimates of the energy and energy flux during both the ON and OFF periods of the pulsations. Both the energy and energy flux are found to be reduced during each OFF period compared with the ON period, and the estimates indicate that it is the number flux of foremost higher-energy electrons that is reduced. The energies are found never to drop below a few kilo-electronvolts during the OFF periods for these events. The high-resolution optical data show the occurrence of dips in brightness below the diffuse background level immediately after the ON period has ended. Each dip lasts for about a second, with a reduction in brightness of up to 70% before the intensity increases to a steady background level again. A different kind of variation is also detected in the OFF period emissions during the second event, where a slower decrease in the background diffuse emission is seen with its brightness minimum just before the ON period, for a series of pulsations. Since the dips in the emission level during OFF are dependent on the switching between ON and OFF, this could indicate a common mechanism for the precipitation during the ON and OFF phases. A statistical analysis of brightness rise, fall, and ON times for the pulsations is also performed. It is found that the pulsations are often asymmetric, with either a slower increase of brightness or a slower fall.
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| 6. |
- Eliasson, B., et al.
(författare)
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Numerical study of upper hybrid to Z-mode leakage during electromagnetic pumping of groups of striations in the ionosphere
- 2015
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 33:8, s. 1019-1030
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We investigate numerically the interaction between ionospheric magnetic field-aligned density striations and a left-hand circularly polarized (L)-mode wave. The L-mode wave is scattered into upper hybrid (UH) waves which are partially trapped in the striations, but leak energy to electromagnetic waves in the Z-mode branch. For small-amplitude (1 %) striations, this loss mechanism leads to a significant reduction in amplitude of the UH waves. For several striations organized in a lattice, the leaking of Z-mode waves is compensated by influx of Z-mode radiation from neighboring striations, leading to an increased amplitude of the weakly trapped UH waves. For large-amplitude (10 %) striations the trapped UH waves rapidly increase in amplitude far beyond the threshold for parametric instabilities, and the Z-mode leakage is less important. The results have relevance for the growth of striations and the onset of UH and lower hybrid turbulence during electromagnetic high-frequency pumping of ionospheric plasma, which require large-amplitude UH waves.
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| 7. |
- Gunell, H, et al.
(författare)
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Self-consistent electrostatic simulations of reforming double layers in the downward current region of the aurora
- 2015
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : Copernicus Gesellschaft. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 33:10, s. 1331-1342
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The plasma on a magnetic field line in the downward current region of the aurora is simulated using a Vlasov model. It is found that an electric field parallel to the magnetic fields is supported by a double layer moving toward higher altitude. The double layer accelerates electrons upward, and these electrons give rise to plasma waves and electron phase-space holes through beam-plasma interaction. The double layer is disrupted when reaching altitudes of 12 Earth radii where the Langmuir condition no longer can be satisfied due to the diminishing density of electrons coming up from the ionosphere. During the disruption the potential drop is in part carried by the electron holes. The disruption creates favourable conditions for double layer formation near the ionosphere and double layers form anew in that region. The process repeats itself with a period of approximately 1 min. This period is determined by how far the double layer can reach before being disrupted: a higher disruption altitude corresponds to a longer repetition period. The disruption altitude is, in turn, found to increase with ionospheric density and to decrease with total voltage. The current displays oscillations around a mean value. The period of the oscillations is the same as the recurrence period of the double layer formations. The oscillation amplitude increases with increasing voltage, whereas the mean value of the current is independent of voltage in the 100 to 800 V range covered by our simulations. Instead, the mean value of the current is determined by the electron density at the ionospheric boundary.
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| 8. |
- Gunell, Herbert, et al.
(författare)
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Vlasov simulations of trapping and loss of auroral electrons
- 2015
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 33, s. 279-293
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The plasma on an auroral field line is simulated using a Vlasov model. In the initial state, the acceleration region extends from one to three Earth radii in altitude with about half of the acceleration voltage concentrated in a stationary double layer at the bottom of this region. A population of electrons is trapped between the double layer and their magnetic mirror points at lower altitudes. A simulation study is carried out to examine the effects of fluctuations in the total accelerating voltage, which may be due to changes in the generator or the load of the auroral current circuit. The electron distribution function on the high potential side of the double layer changes significantly depending on whether the perturbation is toward higher or lower voltages, and therefore measurements of electron distribution functions provide information about the recent history of the voltage. Electron phase space holes are seen as a result of the induced fluctuations. Most of the voltage perturbation is assumed by the double layer. Hysteresis effects in the position of the double layer are observed when the voltage first is lowered and then brought back to its initial value.
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| 9. |
- Ivchenko, Nickolay, et al.
(författare)
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Plasma line observations from the EISCAT Svalbard Radar during the International Polar Year
- 2017
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : Copernicus Gesellschaft MBH. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 35:5, s. 1143-1149
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Photo-electrons and secondary electrons from particle precipitation enhance the incoherent scatter plasma line to levels sufficient for detection. When detectable the plasma line gives accurate measure of the electron density and can potentially be used to constrain incoherent scatter estimates of electron temperature. We investigate the statistical occurrence of plasma line enhancements with data from the high-latitude EISCAT Svalbard Radar obtained during the International Polar Year (IPY, 2007-2008). A computationally fast method was implemented to recover the range-frequency dependence of the plasma line. Plasma line backscatter strength strongly depends on time of day, season, altitude, and geomagnetic activity, and the backscatter is detectable in 22.6% of the total measurements during the IPY. As expected, maximum detection is achieved when photo-electrons due to the Sun's EUV radiation are present. During summer daytime hours the occurrence of detectable plasma lines at altitudes below the F-region peak is up to 90 %. During wintertime the occurrence is a few percent. Electron density profiles recovered from the plasma line show great detail of density variations in height and time. For example, effects of inertial gravity waves on the electron density are observed.
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| 10. |
- Kalogerakis, Konstantinos S., et al.
(författare)
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New insights for mesospheric OH : multi-quantum vibrational relaxation as a driver for non-local thermodynamic equilibrium
- 2018
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 36:1, s. 13-24
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The question of whether mesospheric OH(v) rotational population distributions are in equilibrium with the local kinetic temperature has been debated over several decades. Despite several indications for the existence of non-equilibrium effects, the general consensus has been that emissions originating from low rotational levels are thermalized. Sky spectra simultaneously observing several vibrational levels demonstrated reproducible trends in the extracted OH(v) rotational temperatures as a function of vibrational excitation. Laboratory experiments provided information on rotational energy transfer and direct evidence for fast multi-quantum OH(high-v) vibrational relaxation by O atoms. We examine the relationship of the new relaxation pathways with the behavior exhibited by OH(v) rotational population distributions. Rapid OH(high-v) + O multi-quantum vibrational relaxation connects high and low vibrational levels and enhances the hot tail of the OH(low-v) rotational distributions. The effective rotational temperatures of mesospheric OH(v) are found to deviate from local thermodynamic equilibrium for all observed vibrational levels. Dedicated to Tom G. Slanger in celebration of his 5 decades of research in aeronomy.
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