| 1. |
- Allen, R. C., et al.
(författare)
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A statistical study of EMIC waves observed by Cluster : 1. Wave properties
- 2014
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Ingår i: 2014 XXXITH URSI General Assembly And Scientific Symposium (URSI GRASS). - 9781467352253
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves are an important mechanism for particle energization and losses inside the magnetosphere. In order to better understand the effects of these waves on particle dynamics, detailed information about the ellipticity, normal angle, energy propagation angle distributions, and local plasma parameters are required. Previous statistical studies have used in situ observations to investigate the distribution of these parameters in the L-MLT frame within a limited MLAT range. In this study, we present a statistical analysis of EMIC wave properties using ten years (2001-2010) of data from Cluster, totaling 17,987 minutes of wave activity. Due to the polar orbit of Cluster, we are able to investigate EMIC waves at all MLATs and MLTs. This allows us to further investigate the MLAT dependence of various wave properties inside different MLT sectors and further explore the effects of Shabansky orbits on EMIC wave generation and propagation. The current paper focuses on the wave occurrence distribution as well as the distribution of wave properties.
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| 2. |
- Hamrin, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Energy conversion regions as observed by Cluster in the plasma sheet
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 116, s. A00K08-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this article we present a review of recent studies of observations of localized energy conversion regions (ECRs) observed by Cluster in the plasma sheet at altitudes of 15-20R(E). By examining variations in the power density, E . J, where E is the electric field and J is the current density, we show that the plasma sheet exhibits a high level of fine structure. Approximately three times as many concentrated load regions (CLRs) (E . J > 0) as concentrated generator regions (CGRs) (E . J < 0) are identified, confirming the average load character of the plasma sheet. Some ECRs are found to relate to auroral activity. While ECRs are relevant for the energy conversion between the electromagnetic field and the particles, bursty bulk flows (BBFs) play a central role for the energy transfer in the plasma sheet. We show that ECRs and BBFs are likely to be related, although details of this relationship are yet to be explored. The plasma sheet energy conversion increases rather simultaneously with increasing geomagnetic activity in both CLRs and CGRs. Consistent with large-scale magnetotail simulations, most of the observed ECRs appear to be rather stationary in space but varying in time. We estimate that the ECR lifetime and scale size are a few minutes and a few R(E), respectively. It is conceivable that ECRs rise and vanish locally in significant regions of the plasma sheet, possibly oscillating between load and generator character, while some energy is transmitted as Poynting flux to the ionosphere.
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| 3. |
- Hamrin, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Evidence for the braking of flow bursts as they propagate toward the Earth
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 119:11, s. 9004-9018
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this article we use energy conversion arguments to investigate the possible braking of flow bursts as they propagate toward the Earth. By using EJ data (E and J are the electric field and the current density) observed by Cluster in the magnetotail plasma sheet, we find indications of a plasma deceleration in the region -20 R-E < X < - 15 R-E. Our results suggest a braking mechanism where compressed magnetic flux tubes in so-called dipolarization fronts (DFs) can decelerate incoming flow bursts. Our results also show that energy conversion arguments can be used for studying flow braking and that the position of the flow velocity peak with respect to the DF can be used as a single-spacecraft proxy when determining energy conversion properties. Such a single-spacecraft proxy is invaluable whenever multispacecraft data are not available. In a superposed epoch study, we find that a flow burst with the velocity peak behind the DF is likely to decelerate and transfer energy from the particles to the fields. For flow bursts with the peak flow at or ahead of the DF we see no indications of braking, but instead we find an energy transfer from the fields to the particles. From our results we obtain an estimate of the magnitude of the deceleration of the flow bursts, and we find that it is consistent with previous investigations.
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| 4. |
- Hamrin, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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The evolution of flux pileup regions in the plasma sheet : Cluster observations
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202 .- 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 118:10, s. 6279-6290
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bursty bulk flows (BBFs) play an important role for the mass, energy, and magnetic flux transport in the plasma sheet, and the flow pattern in and around a BBF has important consequences for the localized energy conversion between the electromagnetic and plasma mechanical energy forms. The plasma flow signature in and around BBFs is often rather complicated. Return flows and plasma vortices are expected to exist at the flanks of the main flow channel, especially near the inner plasma sheet boundary, but also farther down-tail. A dipolarization front (DF) is often observed at the leading edge of a BBF, and a flux pileup region (FPR) behind the DF. Here we present Cluster data of three FPRs associated with vortex flows observed in the midtail plasma sheet on 15 August 2001. According to the principles of Fu et al. (2011, 2012c), two of the FPRs are considered to be in an early stage of evolution (growing FPRs). The third FPR is in a later stage of evolution (decaying FPR). For the first time, the detailed energy conversion properties during various stages of the FPR evolution have been measured. We show that the later stage FPR has a more complex vortex pattern than the two earlier stage FPRs. The two early stage FPR correspond to generators, EJ<0, while the later stage FPR only shows weak generator characteristics and is instead dominated by load signatures at the DF, EJ>0. Moreover, to our knowledge, this is one of the first times BBF-related plasma vortices have been observed to propagate over the spacecraft in the midtail plasma sheet at geocentric distances of about 18R(E). Our observations are compared to recent simulation results and previous observations.
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| 5. |
- Hamrin, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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The role of the inner tail to midtail plasma sheet in channeling solar wind power to the ionosphere
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 117:A6, s. A06310-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this article we use Cluster power density (E . J) data from 2001, 2002, and 2004 to investigate energy conversion and transfer in the plasma sheet. We show that a southward IMF B-z is favorable for plasma sheet energy conversion, and that there is an increased particle and Poynting flux toward the Earth at times when Cluster observes an enhanced energy conversion in the plasma sheet. Conversion from electromagnetic to kinetic energy is increasingly dominant farther down-tail, while the generation of electromagnetic power from kinetic energy becomes important toward the Earth with a maximum at roughly 10 R-E. By linking observations of the key quantity E . J to observations of the solar wind input and earthward energy flux, our results demonstrate the role of the inner tail to midtail plasma sheet as a mediator between the solar wind energy input into the magnetosphere and the auroral dissipation in the ionosphere.
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