| 1. |
- Beth, Arnaud, et al.
(författare)
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First investigation of the diamagnetic cavity boundary layer with a 1D3V PIC simulation
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 667
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: Amongst the different features and boundaries encountered around comets, one remains of particular interest to the plasma community: the diamagnetic cavity. Crossed for the first time at 1P/Halley during the Giotto flyby in 1986 and later met more than 700 times by the ESA Rosetta spacecraft around Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, this region, almost free of any magnetic field, surrounds nuclei of active comets. However, previous observations and modelling of this part of the coma have not yet provided a definitive answer as to the origin of such a cavity and on its border, the diamagnetic cavity boundary layer.Aims: We investigate which forces and equilibrium might be at play and balance the magnetic pressure at this boundary down to the spatial and temporal scales of the electrons in the 1D collisionless case. In addition, we scrutinise assumptions made in magneto-hydrodynamic and hybrid simulations of this environment and check for their validity.Methods: We simulated this region at the electron scale by means of 1D3V particle-in-cell simulations and SMILEI code.Results: Across this layer, depending on the magnetic field strength, the electric field is governed by different equilibria, with a thin double-layer forming ahead. In addition, we show that the electron distribution function departs from Maxwellian and/or gyrotropic distributions and that electrons do not behave adiabatically. We demonstrate the need to investigate this region at the electron scale in depth with fully kinetic simulations.
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| 2. |
- Boldú-O´Farrill Treviño, Joan Jordi
(författare)
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Probing the solar wind evolution with kinetic waves
- 2023
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Charged particles constantly stream outward from the Sun to fill the solar system. These particles, consisting mainly of protons and electrons, form a plasma called the solar wind. The solar wind interacts with every celestial body in the solar system, giving rise to different phenomena, such as the auro- ras observed at high latitudes on Earth or disruption of the systems onboard artificial satellites. The general structure of the solar wind has been established several decades ago, however we still do not fully understand how the solar wind properties, like temperature and velocity distribution, evolve as it propagates outward in the solar system. Observations of these properties cannot be explained from a conventional fluid description. In a system approximated as a fluid, particle collisions dictate its thermodynamic state. However, the solar wind is a weakly collisional plasma that deviates from thermodynamic equilibrium. Therefore, the radial evolution of the solar wind properties must be driven by different processes. In particular, wave-particle interactions are an important regulator of the solar wind properties, because of the strong connection between the electromagnetic fields and the charged particles. In this thesis, we probe how the velocity distribution of solar wind par- ticles evolves as it travels from the Sun to the Earth. Specifically, we study the contribution of waves on the observed solar wind properties at different distances and how these waves can affect the interplanetary environment. We focus on two types of plasma waves frequently observed in the solar wind, Langmuir and ion-acoustic waves. We present their occurrence rates at differ- ent heliocentric distances and suggest wave generation mechanisms based on Solar Orbiter observations. We show that Langmuir waves in the unperturbed solar wind are more commonly observed in regions where the magnetic field magnitude is lower than the background value. Furthermore, we also find that the occurrence rate of ion-acoustic waves is increased in the ramp regions of interplanetary shocks observed at different heliocentric distances, compared to the ion-acoustic wave occurrence rate in the unperturbed solar wind.
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| 3. |
- Chong, Ghai Siung, et al.
(författare)
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Tailward Flows in the Vicinity of Fast Earthward Flows
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 126:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The occurrence of tailward flows in the magnetotail plasma sheet is closely linked to the dynamics of earthward bursty bulk flows (BBFs). Tailward flows that are observed in the vicinity of these BBFs (or TWABs – Tailward flows around BBFs) may hold unique information on its origin. In this study, we conduct a statistical survey on TWABs by using data from the Cluster mission. We find that TWABs are observed in the vicinity of ∼75% of the BBFs and their occurrence does not depend on BBF velocity magnitude. TWABs have a flow convection pattern consistent with the general tailward flows (GTWs) in the plasma sheet and they do not resemble vortical-like flows. However, TWABs have a flow velocity magnitude twice larger than the GTWs. The plasma density and temperature of TWABs are comparable with BBFs. It is more common to observe a TWAB succeeding than preceding a BBF. However, there is no distinctive difference (in flow pattern, plasma density and temperature) between preceding and succeeding TWABs. We suggest that TWABs are likely the “freshly” rebounded BBFs from the near-Earth region where the magnetic field is stronger. TWABs may represent the early stage of the evolution of tailward flows in the plasma sheet. We also discuss and argue that other mechanisms such as shear-induced vortical flows and tailward slipping of depleted flux tubes cannot be the principal causes of TWABs.
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| 4. |
- De Spiegeleer, Alexandre, et al.
(författare)
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In Which Magnetotail Hemisphere is a Satellite? Problems Using in Situ Magnetic Field Data
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 126:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In Earth's magnetotail plasma sheet, the sunward-tailward Bx component of the magnetic field is often used to separate the region above and below the cross-tail current sheet. Using a three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamic simulation, we show that high-speed flows do not only affect the north-south magnetic field component (causing dipolarization fronts), but also the sunward-tailward component via the formation of a magnetic dent. This dent is such that, in the Northern Hemisphere, the magnetic field is tailward while in the Southern Hemisphere, it is earthward. This is opposite to the expected signatures where Bx > 0 (Bx < 0) above (below) the neutral sheet. Therefore, the direction of the magnetic field cannot always be used to identify in which hemisphere an in situ spacecraft is located. In addition, the cross-tail currents associated with the dent is different from the currents in a tail without a dent. From the simulation, we suggest that the observation of a dawnward current and a tailward magnetic tension force, possibly together with an increase in the plasma beta, may indicate the presence of a magnetic dent. To exemplify, we also present data of a high-speed flow observed by the Cluster mission, and we show that the changing sign of Bx is likely due to such a dent, and not to the spacecraft moving across the neutral sheet.
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| 5. |
- De Spiegeleer, Alexandre, 1990-
(författare)
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There and back again... An Earth magneto-tale : understanding plasma flows in the magnetotail
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- On average, the Earth's magnetotail plasma sheet seems to be a calm region of the magnetosphere where the plasma moves slowly towards Earth. However, the plasma sheet actually hosts many phenomena, some of which can affect Earth. For example, high-speed flows of plasma with speed larger than 400 km/s are observed in the plasma sheet and they can lead to aurorae. Such dynamical phenomena and the impact they may have on Earth naturally makes the plasma sheet an important region of study. Even though these high-speed flows can affect Earth, they are observed less than 5% of the time, meaning that most of the time, other disturbances take place in the plasma sheet. Our aim is to investigate and better understand the plasma dynamics in the plasma sheet.The plasma above and below the cross-tail current sheet was previously thought to convect in the same direction. However, we find that under clearly non-zero Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF)By (dawn-dusk component), the plasma has a tendency to convect in opposite dawn-dusk direction across the current sheet near the midnight sector depending on the sign of IMF By.The high-speed plasma flows are known to be associated with an increase of the northward component of the magnetic field as they propagate toward Earth. Using simulations, we notice that the magnetic field lines are bent by the high-speed flows and dents can appear. The deformation of the magnetic field is such that it may be directed towards the tail above the cross-tail current sheet and towards the Earth below it. This is opposite to the expected orientation of the magnetic field thus making this feature important in order to properly identify the region in which a spacecraft is located.At times, the plasma can be seen to move back and forth in an oscillatory manner. We investigate statistically such oscillatory behaviour and compare them to high-speed flows and to time periods when the plasma is calm. These oscillatory flows are observed about 8% of the time in the plasma sheet. They typically have a frequency of about 1.7 mHz (~10 min period) and usually last about 41 min.Some oscillations of the plasma velocity are observed along the magnetic field. The particles measured by the satellite initially have a velocity parallel to the magnetic field and towards Earth. Gradually with time, the measured velocity of the particles turns around to first become more perpendicular to the magnetic field and then be along the magnetic field but away from Earth. These signatures are interpreted simply as being due to mirroring particles injected tailward of the satellite and move toward Earth. The particles are then reflected, and move away from Earth. We investigate the general features of such oscillations along the magnetic field and find that the source of the particles is typically located less than 25 RE (Earth's radii) tailward of the satellite.
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| 6. |
- Edberg, Niklas J. T., et al.
(författare)
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Scale size of cometary bow shocks
- 2024
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 682
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. In past decades, several spacecraft have visited comets to investigate their plasma environments. In the coming years, Comet Interceptor will make yet another attempt. This time, the target comet and its outgassing activity are unknown and may not be known before the spacecraft has been launched into its parking orbit, where it will await a possible interception. If the approximate outgassing rate can be estimated remotely when a target has been identified, it is desirable to also be able to estimate the scale size of the plasma environment, defined here as the region bound by the bow shock.Aims. This study aims to combine previous measurements and simulations of cometary bow shock locations to gain a better understanding of how the scale size of cometary plasma environments varies. We compare these data with models of the bow shock size, and we furthermore provide an outgassing rate-dependent shape model of the bow shock. We then use this to predict a range of times and cometocentric distances for the crossing of the bow shock by Comet Interceptor, together with expected plasma density measurements along the spacecraft track.Methods. We used data of the location of cometary bow shocks from previous spacecraft missions, together with simulation results from previously published studies. We compared these results with an existing model of the bow shock stand-off distance and expand on this to provide a shape model of cometary bow shocks. The model in particular includes the cometary outgassing rate, but also upstream solar wind conditions, ionisation rates, and the neutral flow velocity.Results. The agreement between the gas-dynamic model and the data and simulation results is good in terms of the stand-off distance of the bow shock as a function of the outgassing rate. For outgassing rates in the range of 1027–1031–s-1, the scale size of cometary bow shocks can vary by four orders of magnitude, from about 102 km to 106 km, for an ionisation rate, flow velocity, and upstream solar wind conditions typical of those at 1 AU. The proposed bow shock shape model shows that a comet plasma environment can range in scale size from the plasma environment of Mars to about half of that of Saturn.Conclusions. The model-data agreement allows for the planning of upcoming spacecraft comet encounters, such as that of Comet Interceptor, when a target has been identified and its outgassing rate is determined. We conclude that the time a spacecraft can spend within the plasma environment during a flyby can range from minutes to days, depending on the comet that is visited and on the flyby speed. However, to capture most of the comet plasma environment, including pick-up ions and upstream plasma waves, and to ensure the highest possible scientific return, measurements should still start well upstream of the expected bow shock location. From the plasma perspective, the selected target should preferably be an active comet with the lowest possible flyby velocity.
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| 7. |
- Goetz, C., et al.
(författare)
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Cometary plasma science : Open science questions for future space missions
- 2021
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Ingår i: Experimental astronomy. - : Springer Nature. - 0922-6435 .- 1572-9508.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Comets hold the key to the understanding of our Solar System, its formation and its evolution, and to the fundamental plasma processes at work both in it and beyond it. A comet nucleus emits gas as it is heated by the sunlight. The gas forms the coma, where it is ionised, becomes a plasma, and eventually interacts with the solar wind. Besides these neutral and ionised gases, the coma also contains dust grains, released from the comet nucleus. As a cometary atmosphere develops when the comet travels through the Solar System, large-scale structures, such as the plasma boundaries, develop and disappear, while at planets such large-scale structures are only accessible in their fully grown, quasi-steady state. In situ measurements at comets enable us to learn both how such large-scale structures are formed or reformed and how small-scale processes in the plasma affect the formation and properties of these large scale structures. Furthermore, a comet goes through a wide range of parameter regimes during its life cycle, where either collisional processes, involving neutrals and charged particles, or collisionless processes are at play, and might even compete in complicated transitional regimes. Thus a comet presents a unique opportunity to study this parameter space, from an asteroid-like to a Mars- and Venus-like interaction. The Rosetta mission and previous fast flybys of comets have together made many new discoveries, but the most important breakthroughs in the understanding of cometary plasmas are yet to come. The Comet Interceptor mission will provide a sample of multi-point measurements at a comet, setting the stage for a multi-spacecraft mission to accompany a comet on its journey through the Solar System. This White Paper, submitted in response to the European Space Agency’s Voyage 2050 call, reviews the present-day knowledge of cometary plasmas, discusses the many questions that remain unanswered, and outlines a multi-spacecraft European Space Agency mission to accompany a comet that will answer these questions by combining both multi-spacecraft observations and a rendezvous mission, and at the same time advance our understanding of fundamental plasma physics and its role in planetary systems.
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| 8. |
- Goetz, Charlotte, et al.
(författare)
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The plasma environment of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
- 2022
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Ingår i: Space Science Reviews. - : Springer. - 0038-6308 .- 1572-9672. ; 218:8
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The environment of a comet is a fascinating and unique laboratory to study plasma processes and the formation of structures such as shocks and discontinuities from electron scales to ion scales and above. The European Space Agency's Rosetta mission collected data for more than two years, from the rendezvous with comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in August 2014 until the final touch-down of the spacecraft end of September 2016. This escort phase spanned a large arc of the comet's orbit around the Sun, including its perihelion and corresponding to heliocentric distances between 3.8 AU and 1.24 AU. The length of the active mission together with this span in heliocentric and cometocentric distances make the Rosetta data set unique and much richer than sets obtained with previous cometary probes. Here, we review the results from the Rosetta mission that pertain to the plasma environment. We detail all known sources and losses of the plasma and typical processes within it. The findings from in-situ plasma measurements are complemented by remote observations of emissions from the plasma. Overviews of the methods and instruments used in the study are given as well as a short review of the Rosetta mission. The long duration of the Rosetta mission provides the opportunity to better understand how the importance of these processes changes depending on parameters like the outgassing rate and the solar wind conditions. We discuss how the shape and existence of large scale structures depend on these parameters and how the plasma within different regions of the plasma environment can be characterised. We end with a non-exhaustive list of still open questions, as well as suggestions on how to answer them in the future.
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| 9. |
- Goetz, Charlotte, et al.
(författare)
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Warm protons at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko-implications for the infant bow shock
- 2021
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : European Geosciences Union (EGU). - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 39:3, s. 379-396
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The plasma around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko showed remarkable variability throughout the entire Rosetta mission. Plasma boundaries such as the diamagnetic cavity, solar wind ion cavity and infant bow shock separate regions with distinct plasma parameters from each other. Here, we focus on a particular feature in the plasma: warm, slow solar wind protons. We investigate this particular proton population further by focusing on the proton behaviour and surveying all of the Rosetta comet phase data. We find over 300 events where Rosetta transited from a region with fast, cold protons into a region with warm, slow protons. We investigate the properties of the plasma and magnetic field at this boundary and the location where it can be found. We find that the protons are preferentially detected at intermediate gas production rates with a slight trend towards larger cometocentric distances for higher gas production rates. The events can mostly be found in the positive convective electric field hemisphere. These results agree well with simulations of the infant bow shock (IBS), an asymmetric structure in the plasma environment previously detected on only 2 d during the comet phase. The properties of the plasma on both sides of this structure are harder to constrain, but there is a trend towards higher electron flux, lower magnetic field, higher magnetic field power spectral density and higher density in the region that contains the warm protons. This is in partial agreement with the previous IBS definitions; however, it also indicates that the plasma and this structure are highly non-stationary. For future research, Comet Interceptor, with its multi-point measurements, can help to disentangle the spatial and temporal effects and give more clarity on the influence of changing upstream conditions on the movement of boundaries in this unusual environment.
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| 10. |
- Goncharov, Oleksandr, et al.
(författare)
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Evolution of High-Speed Jets and Plasmoids Downstream of the Quasi-Perpendicular Bow Shock
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 125:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plasma structures with enhanced dynamic pressure, density, or speed are often observed in Earth's magnetosheath. We present a statistical study of these structures, known as jets and fast plasmoids, in the magnetosheath, downstream of both the quasi-perpendicular and quasi-parallel bow shocks. Using measurements from the four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft and OMNI solar wind data from 2015-2017, we present observations of jets during different upstream conditions and in the wide range of distances from the bow shock. Jets observed downstream of the quasi-parallel bow shock are seen to propagate deeper and faster into the magnetosheath and on toward the magnetopause. We estimate the shape of the structures by treating the leading edge as a shock surface, and the result is that the jets are elongated in the direction of propagation but also that they expand more quickly in the perpendicular direction as they propagate through the magnetosheath.
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| 11. |
- Gronoff, Guillaume, et al.
(författare)
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The Effect of Cosmic Rays on Cometary Nuclei. I. Dose Deposition
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 890:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Comets are small bodies thought to contain the most pristine material in the solar system. However, since their formation ≈4.5 Gy ago, they have been altered by different processes. While not exposed to much electromagnetic radiation, they experience intense particle radiation. Galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles have a broad spectrum of energies and interact with the cometary surface and subsurface; they are the main source of space weathering for a comet in the Kuiper Belt or in the Oort Cloud, and also affect the ice prior to the comet agglomeration. While low-energy particles interact only with the cometary surface, the most energetic ones deposit a significant amount of energy down to tens of meters. This interaction can modify the isotopic ratios in cometary ices and create secondary compounds through radiolysis, such as O2 and H2O2 (Paper II). In this paper, we model the energy deposition of energetic particles as a function of depth using a Geant4 application modified to account for the isotope creation process. We quantify the energy deposited in cometary nucleus by galactic cosmic rays and solar energetic particles. The consequences of the energy deposition on the isotopic and chemical composition of cometary ices and their implication on the interpretation of cometary observations, notably of 67P/Churyumov Gerasimenko by the ESA Rosetta spacecraft, will be discussed in Paper II.
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| 12. |
- Gunell, Herbert, et al.
(författare)
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Impact of radial interplanetary magnetic fields on the inner coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko : Hybrid simulations of the plasma environment
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 682
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. The direction of the interplanetary magnetic field determines the nature of the interaction between a Solar System object and the solar wind. For comets, it affects the formation of both a bow shock and other plasma boundaries, as well as mass-loading. Around the nucleus of a comet, there is a diamagnetic cavity, where the magnetic field is negligible. Observations by the Rosetta spacecraft have shown that, most of the time, the diamagnetic cavity is located within a solar-wind ion cavity, which is devoid of solar wind ions. However, solar wind ions have been observed inside the diamagnetic cavity on several occasions. Understanding what determines whether or not the solar wind can reach the diamagnetic cavity also advances our understanding of cometsolar wind interaction in general.Aims. We aim to determine the influence of an interplanetary magnetic field directed radially out from the Sun that is, parallel to the solar wind velocity on the cometsolar wind interaction. In particular, we explore the possibility of solar wind protons entering the diamagnetic cavity under radial field conditions.Methods. We performed global hybrid simulations of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko using the simulation code Amitis for two different interplanetary magnetic field configurations and compared the results to observations made by the Rosetta spacecraft.Results. We find that, when the magnetic field is parallel to the solar wind velocity, no bow shock forms and the solar wind ions are able to enter the diamagnetic cavity. A solar wind ion wake still forms further downstream in this case.Conclusions. The solar wind can enter the diamagnetic cavity if the interplanetary magnetic field is directed radially from the Sun, and this is in agreement with observations made by instruments on board the Rosetta spacecraft.
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| 13. |
- Gunell, Herbert, et al.
(författare)
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Ion acoustic waves near a comet nucleus : Rosetta observations at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
- 2021
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 39:1, s. 53-68
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ion acoustic waves were observed between 15 and 30 km from the centre of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by the Rosetta spacecraft during its close flyby on 28 March 2015. There are two electron populations: one cold at k(B)T(e) approximate to 0.2 eV and one warm at k(B)T(e) approximate to 2 eV. The ions are dominated by a cold (a few hundredths of electronvolt) distribution of water group ions with a bulk speed of (3-3.7) km s(-1). A warm k(B)T(e) approximate to 6 eV ion population, which also is present, has no influence on the ion acoustic waves due to its low density of only 0.25 % of the plasma density. Near closest approach the propagation direction was within 50 degrees from the direction of the bulk velocity. The waves, which in the plasma frame appear below the ion plasma frequency f(pi) approximate to 2 kHz, are Doppler-shifted to the spacecraft frame where they cover a frequency range up to approximately 4 kHz. The waves are detected in a region of space where the magnetic field is piled up and draped around the inner part of the ionised coma. Estimates of the current associated with the magnetic field gradient as observed by Rosetta are used as input to calculations of dispersion relations for current-driven ion acoustic waves, using kinetic theory. Agreement between theory and observations is obtained for electron and ion distributions with the properties described above. The wave power decreases over cometocentric distances from 24 to 30 km. The main difference between the plasma at closest approach and in the region where the waves are decaying is the absence of a significant current in the latter. Wave observations and theory combined supplement the particle measurements that are difficult at low energies and complicated by spacecraft charging.
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| 14. |
- Gunell, Herbert, et al.
(författare)
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Magnetosheath jets at Mars
- 2023
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Ingår i: Science Advances. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 2375-2548. ; 9:22
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plasma entities, known as magnetosheath jets, with higher dynamic pressure than the surrounding plasma, are often seen at Earth. They generate waves and contribute to energy transfer in the magnetosheath. Affecting the magnetopause, they cause surface waves and transfer energy into the magnetosphere, causing throat auroras and magnetic signatures detectable on the ground. We show that jets exist also beyond Earth's environment in the magnetosheath of Mars, using data obtained by the MAVEN spacecraft. Thus, jets can be created also at Mars, which differs from Earth by its smaller bow shock, and they are associated with an increased level of magnetic field fluctuations. Jets couple large and small scales in magnetosheaths in the solar system and can play a similar part in astrophysical plasmas.
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| 15. |
- Gunell, Herbert, et al.
(författare)
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Particle-in-cell modelling of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko : spatial structures of densities and electric fields
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 674
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: Sufficiently far from the Sun, all comets go through a phase of low activity. Rosetta observations at large heliocentric distances of approximately 3 au showed that the plasma at a low-activity comet is affected by both steady state electric fields and low-frequency waves.Aims: Our goal is to provide a model for the electric fields in the inner coma at a low-activity comet and to simulate waves and field structures farther away from the nucleus.Methods: We compare analytical models for the convective, ambipolar, and polarisation electric fields to the results of an electrostatic particle-in-cell simulation of a scaled-down low-activity comet.Results: We find good agreement between the steady state field model and the simulation results close to the nucleus. At larger cometocentric distances, waves dominate the electric field. These waves are interpreted as the scaled-down electrostatic limit of the previously observed singing comet waves. The comet ion density is not spherically symmetric.Conclusions: Low-activity comets can be modelled using electrostatic particle-in-cell simulations of a scaled-down system. Outside the innermost part of the coma (r ≥ 40 km), the plasma is not spherically symmetric and the electric field is dominated by waves.
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| 16. |
- Gunell, Herbert
(författare)
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The equations of the magnetosphere
- 2021. - 1
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Ingår i: Magnetospheres in the solar system. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 9781119815624 - 9781119507529 ; , s. 37-45
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The use of equations and mathematical modelling in magnetospheric and space physics is reviewed. First, the basic equations are discussed. Then, kinetic and fluid theory are treated. The role of approximations and the applicability of the theories in practice are emphasized.
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| 17. |
- Gunell, Herbert
(författare)
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Waves and boundaries in plasmas at comets and planets - Experimental aspects
- 2021
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Ingår i: 2021 International Conference on Electromagnetics in Advanced Applications (ICEAA). - : IEEE. - 9781665413862 ; , s. 46-46
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In planetary habitability, a crucial question is whether a planet can maintain liquid water on its surface and a stable atmosphere over timescales of the order of the lifetime of a solar system. This applies both to the planets in our solar systems and to exoplanets discovered in other solar systems. Interaction between a stellar wind and a planetary atmosphere can lead to atmospheric escape. The processes behind atmospheric escape depend on stellar wind and atmospheric conditions as well as planetary magnetization. However, an intrinsic magnetic field is not necessary to protect a planet from atmospheric escape, since protective boundaries are formed also at unmagnetized planets and the magnetic field itself enables escape through the polar caps and cusps [1]. Only the planets in our solar system are accessible to in situ measurements and only under present-day contitions. To assess the evolution of planets and exoplanets we must understand the physics of planetary-stellar wind interaction, and here laboratory experiments have a role to play. Two aspects will be examined here: plasma boundaries in the planetary environment, which shield the atmospheres from the stellar wind, and the aurora, which with its optical and radio emissions enable remote sensing of the planetary environment.
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| 18. |
- Hamrin, Maria, 1972-, et al.
(författare)
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Space weather disturbances in non-stormy times : occurrence of dB/dt spikes during three solar cycles
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 128:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spatio-temporal variations of ionospheric currents cause rapid magnetic field variations at ground level and Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) that can be harmful for human infrastructure. The risk for large excursions in the magnetic field time derivative, “dB/dt spikes”, is known to be high during geomagnetic storms and substorms. However, less is known about the occurrence of spikes during non-stormy times. We use data from ground-based globally covering magnetometers (SuperMAG database) from the years 1985–2021. We investigate the spike occurrence (|dB/dt| > 100 nT/min) as a function of magnetic local time (MLT), magnetic latitude (Mlat), and the solar cycle phases during non-stormy times (−15 nT ≤ SYM-H < 0). We sort our data into substorm (AL < 200 nT) intervals (“SUB”) and less active intervals between consecutive substorms (“nonSUB”). We find that spikes commonly occur in both SUBs and nonSUBs during non-stormy times (3–23 spikes/day), covering 18–12 MLT and 65°–80° Mlat. This also implies a risk for infrastructure damage during non-stormy times, especially when several spikes occur nearby in space and time, possibly causing infrastructure weathering. We find that spikes are more common in the declining phase of the solar cycle, and that the occurrence of SUB spikes propagates from one midnight to one morning hotspot with ∼10 min in MLT for each minute in universal time (UTC). Finally, we discuss causes for the spikes in terms of spatio-temporal variations of ionospheric currents.
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| 19. |
- Jones, Geraint H., et al.
(författare)
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The Comet Interceptor Mission
- 2024
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Ingår i: Space Science Reviews. - : Springer Nature. - 0038-6308 .- 1572-9672. ; 220:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Here we describe the novel, multi-point Comet Interceptor mission. It is dedicated to the exploration of a little-processed long-period comet, possibly entering the inner Solar System for the first time, or to encounter an interstellar object originating at another star. The objectives of the mission are to address the following questions: What are the surface composition, shape, morphology, and structure of the target object? What is the composition of the gas and dust in the coma, its connection to the nucleus, and the nature of its interaction with the solar wind? The mission was proposed to the European Space Agency in 2018, and formally adopted by the agency in June 2022, for launch in 2029 together with the Ariel mission. Comet Interceptor will take advantage of the opportunity presented by ESA’s F-Class call for fast, flexible, low-cost missions to which it was proposed. The call required a launch to a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point. The mission can take advantage of this placement to wait for the discovery of a suitable comet reachable with its minimum Δ V capability of 600 ms − 1 . Comet Interceptor will be unique in encountering and studying, at a nominal closest approach distance of 1000 km, a comet that represents a near-pristine sample of material from the formation of the Solar System. It will also add a capability that no previous cometary mission has had, which is to deploy two sub-probes – B1, provided by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, and B2 – that will follow different trajectories through the coma. While the main probe passes at a nominal 1000 km distance, probes B1 and B2 will follow different chords through the coma at distances of 850 km and 400 km, respectively. The result will be unique, simultaneous, spatially resolved information of the 3-dimensional properties of the target comet and its interaction with the space environment. We present the mission’s science background leading to these objectives, as well as an overview of the scientific instruments, mission design, and schedule.
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| 20. |
- Krämer, Eva, et al.
(författare)
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Waves in Magnetosheath Jets-Classification and the Search for Generation Mechanisms Using MMS Burst Mode Data
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 128:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Magnetosheath jets are localized dynamic pressure enhancements in the magnetosheath. We make use of the high time resolution burst mode data of the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission for an analysis of waves in plasmas associated with three magnetosheath jets. We find both electromagnetic and electrostatic waves over the frequency range from 0 to 4 kHz that can be probed by the instruments on board the MMS spacecraft. At high frequencies we find electrostatic solitary waves, electron acoustic waves, and whistler waves. Electron acoustic waves and whistler waves show the typical properties expected from theory assuming approximations of a homogeneous plasma and linearity. In addition, 0.2 Hz waves in the magnetic field, 1 Hz electromagnetic waves, and lower hybrid waves are observed. For these waves the approximation of a homogeneous plasma does not hold anymore and the observed waves show properties from several different basic wave modes. In addition, we investigate how the various types of waves are generated. We show evidence that, the 1 Hz waves are connected to gradients in the density and magnetic field. The whistler waves are generated by a butterfly-shaped pitch-angle distribution and the electron acoustic waves by a cold electron population. The lower hybrid waves are probably generated by currents at the boundary of the jets. As for the other waves we can only speculate about the generation mechanism due to limitations of the instruments. Studying waves in jets will help to address the microphysics in jets which can help to understand the evolution of jets better.
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| 21. |
- Maggiolo, Romain, et al.
(författare)
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Does a magnetosphere protect the ionosphere?
- 2021
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Ingår i: Magnetospheres in the solar system. - : John Wiley & Sons. ; , s. 729-742
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This chapter reviews observation at Venus, Earth, and Mars related to ionospheric ion outflow. We compareobservations made around these three planets – Venus and Mars, which are unmagnetized, and Earth, whichis magnetized – in order to assess the protective effect of planetary magnetic fields on ionospheric ion outflow. We discuss the measured flux of outflowing ionospheric ions, the energy transfer from the solar wind to the ionosphere and the fate of outflowing ionospheric ions. Our conclusion is that there is no observational evidence that,under current conditions, Earth’s magnetic field can protect its ionosphere from losing material any better thanthe induced magnetospheres of Venus and Mars. However, extrapolating this result to geological timescale or toother planets must be made with care due to the complexity of the processes associated with ionospheric ionoutflow.
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| 22. |
- Maggiolo, R., et al.
(författare)
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The earth's magnetic field enhances solar energy deposition in the upper atmosphere
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 127:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The presence of a large-scale planetary magnetic field is thought to be a protective factor for atmospheres, preventing them from being blown off by the solar wind. We focus on one key aspect of atmospheric escape: how does a planetary magnetic fields affect the energy transfer from the Sun to the atmosphere? We estimate the solar wind energy currently dissipated in the Earth's atmosphere using empirical formulas derived from observations. We show that it is significantly higher than the energy dissipated in the atmosphere of a hypothetical unmagnetized Earth. Consequently, we conclude that the Earth's magnetic field enhances the solar energy dissipation in the Earth's atmosphere and that, contrary to the old paradigm, an intrinsic magnetic field does not necessarily reduces atmospheric loss.
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| 23. |
- Maggiolo, R., et al.
(författare)
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The Effect of Cosmic Rays on Cometary Nuclei. II. Impact on Ice Composition and Structure
- 2020
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : IOP PUBLISHING LTD. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 901:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since their formation in the protosolar nebula some similar to 4.5 billion years ago, comets are in storage in cold distant regions of the solar system, the Kuiper Belt/scattered disk or Oort Cloud. Therefore, they have been considered as mostly unaltered samples of the protosolar nebula. However, a significant dose of energy is deposited by galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) into the outermost tens of meters of cometary nuclei during their stay in the Oort Cloud or Kuiper Belt. We investigate the impact of energy deposition by GCRs on cometary nuclei. We use experimental results from laboratory experiments and the energy deposition by GCRs estimated by Gronoff et al. (2020), to discuss the depth down to which the cometary nucleus is altered by GCRs. We show that GCRs do not significantly change the isotopic composition of cometary material but modify the chemical composition and the ice structure in the outer layers of the nucleus, which cannot be considered as pristine solar nebula material. We discuss the effect of the collisional history of comets on the distribution of processed material inside the nucleus and its implication on the observation of comets.
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| 24. |
- Moeslinger, Anja, et al.
(författare)
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Indirect observations of electric fields at comet 67P
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 128:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- No spacecraft visiting a comet has been equipped with instruments to directly measure the static electric field. However, the electric field can occasionally be estimated indirectly by observing its effects on the ion velocity distribution. We present such observations made by the Rosetta spacecraft on 19 April 2016, 35 km from the nucleus. At this time comet 67P was at a low outgassing rate and the plasma environment was relatively stable. The ion velocity distributions show the cometary ions on the first half of their gyration. We estimate the bulk drift velocity and the gyration speed from the distributions. By using the local measured magnetic field and assuming an E × B drift of the gyrocentre, we get an estimate for the average electric field driving this ion motion. We analyze a period of 13 hr, during which the plasma environment does not change drastically. We find that the average strength of the perpendicular electric field component is 0.21 mV/m. The direction of the electric field is mostly anti-sunward. This is in agreement with previous results based on different methods.
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| 25. |
- Möslinger, Anja, et al.
(författare)
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Solar Wind Protons Forming Partial Ring Distributions at Comet 67P
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 128:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present partial ring distributions of solar wind protons observed by the Rosetta spacecraft at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The formation of ring distributions is usually associated with high activity comets, where the spatial scales are larger than multiple ion gyroradii. Our observations are made at a low-activity comet at a heliocentric distance of 2.8 AU on 19 April 2016, and the partial rings occur at a spatial scale comparable to the ion gyroradius. We use a new visualization method to simultaneously show the angular distribution of median energy and differential flux. A fitting procedure extracts the bulk speed of the solar wind protons, separated into components parallel and perpendicular to the gyration plane, as well as the gyration velocity. The results are compared with models and put into context of the global comet environment. We find that the formation mechanism of these partial rings of solar wind protons is entirely different from the well-known partial rings of cometary pickup ions at high-activity comets. A density enhancement layer of solar wind protons around the comet is a focal point for proton trajectories originating from different regions of the upstream solar wind. If the spacecraft location coincides with this density enhancement layer, the different trajectories are observed as an energy-angle dispersion and manifest as partial rings in velocity space.
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| 26. |
- Nilsson, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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Birth of a Magnetosphere
- 2021
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Ingår i: Magnetospheres in the Solar System. - : John Wiley & Sons. ; , s. 427-440, s. 427-439
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A magnetosphere may form around an object in a stellar wind either due to the intrinsic magnetic field of the object or stellar wind interaction with the ionosphere of the object. Comets represent the most variable magnetospheres in our solar system, and through the Rosetta mission we have had the chance to study the birth and evolution of a comet magnetosphere as the comet nucleus approached the Sun. We review the birth of the comet magnetosphere as observed at comet 67P Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the formation of plasma boundaries and how the solar wind–atmosphere interaction changes character as the cometary gas cloud and magnetosphere grow in size. Mass loading of the solar wind leads to an asymmetric deflection of the solar wind for low outgassing rates. With increasing activity a solar wind ion cavity forms. Intermittent shock‐like features were also observed. For intermediate outgassing rate a diamagnetic cavity is formed inside the solar wind ion cavity, thus well separated from the solar wind. The cometary plasma was typically very structured and variable. The region of the coma dense enough to have significant collisions forms a special region with different ion chemistry and plasma dynamics as compared to the outer collision‐free region.
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| 27. |
- Nilsson, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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Upstream solar wind speed at comet 67P : reconstruction method, model comparison, and results
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 659
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: Rosetta followed comet 67P at heliocentric distances from 1.25 to 3.6 au. The solar wind was observed for much of this time, but was significantly deflected and to some extent slowed down by the interaction with the coma.Aims: We use the different changes in the speed of H+ and He2+ when they interact with the coma to estimate the upstream speed of the solar wind. The different changes in the speed are due to the different mass per charge of the particles, while the electric force per charge due to the interaction is the same. A major assumption is that the speeds of H+ and He2+ were the same in the upstream region. This is investigated.Methods: We derived a method for reconstructing the upstream solar wind from H+ and He2+ observations. The method is based on the assumption that the interaction of the comet with the solar wind can be described by an electric potential that is the same for both H+ and He2+. This is compared to estimates from the Tao model and to OMNI and Mars Express data that we propagated to the observation point.Results: The reconstruction agrees well with the Tao model for most of the observations, in particular for the statistical distribution of the solar wind speed. The electrostatic potential relative to the upstream solar wind is derived and shows values from a few dozen volts at large heliocentric distances to about 1 kV during solar events and close to perihelion. The reconstructed values of the solar wind for periods of high electrostatic potential also agree well with propagated observations and model results.Conclusions: The reconstructed upstream solar wind speed during the Rosetta mission agrees well with the Tao model. The Tao model captures some slowing down of high-speed streams as compared to observations at Earth or Mars. At low solar wind speeds, below 400 km s-1, the agreement is better between our reconstruction and Mars observations than with the Tao model. The magnitude of the reconstructed electrostatic potential is a good measure of the slowing-down of the solar wind at the observation point.
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| 28. |
- Norenius, Linus, et al.
(författare)
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Ground-Based Magnetometer Response to Impacting Magnetosheath Jets
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 126:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Localized dynamic pressure pulses in the magnetosheath, or jets, have been a popular topic for discussion in recent decades. Studies show that they can propagate through the magnetosheath and impact the magnetopause, possibly showing up as geoeffective elements at ground level. However, questions still remain on how geoeffective they can be. Previous studies have been limited to case studies during few days and with only a handful of events. In this study we have found 65 cases of impacting jets using observations from the Multiscale Magnetospheric mission during 2015–2017. We examine their geoeffectiveness using ground-based magnetometers (GMAGs). From our statistics we find that GMAGs observe responses as fluctuations in the geomagnetic field with amplitudes of 34 nT, frequencies of 1.9 mHz, and damping times of 370 s. Further, the parallel length and the maximum dynamic pressure of the jet dictate the amplitude of the observed GMAG response. Longer and higher pressure jets inducing larger amplitude responses in GMAG horizontal components. The median time required for the signal to be detected by GMAGs is 190 s. We also examine if jets can be harmful for human infrastructure and cannot exclude that such events could exist.
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| 29. |
- Schillings, Audrey, et al.
(författare)
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The fate of O+ ions observed in the plasma mantle: particle tracing modelling and cluster observations
- 2020
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : Copernicus Publications. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 38:3, s. 645-656
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ion escape is of particular interest for studying the evolution of the atmosphere on geological timescales. Previously, using Cluster-CODIF data, we investigated the oxygen ion outflow from the plasma mantle for different solar wind conditions and geomagnetic activity. We found significant correlations between solar wind parameters, geomagnetic activity (Kp index), and the O+ outflow. From these studies, we suggested that O+ ions observed in the plasma mantle and cusp have enough energy and velocity to escape the magnetosphere and be lost into the solar wind or in the distant magnetotail. Thus, this study aims to investigate where the ions observed in the plasma mantle end up. In order to answer this question, we numerically calculate the trajectories of O+ ions using a tracing code to further test this assumption and determine the fate of the observed ions. Our code consists of a magnetic field model (Tsyganenko T96) and an ionospheric potential model (Weimer 2001) in which particles initiated in the plasma mantle region are launched and traced forward in time. We analysed 131 observations of plasma mantle events in Cluster data between 2001 and 2007, and for each event 200 O+ particles were launched with an initial thermal and parallel bulk velocity corresponding to the velocities observed by Cluster. After the tracing, we found that 98 % of the particles are lost into the solar wind or in the distant tail. Out of these 98 %, 20 % escape via the dayside magnetosphere.
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