1. |
- Chen, Li-Jen, et al.
(author)
-
Earth's Alfvén Wings Driven by the April 2023 Coronal Mass Ejection
- 2024
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 51:14
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report a rare regime of Earth's magnetosphere interaction with sub-Alfvénic solar wind in which the windsock-like magnetosphere transforms into one with Alfvén wings. In the magnetic cloud of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) on 24 April 2023, NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission distinguishes the following features: (a) unshocked and accelerated low-beta CME plasma coming directly against Earth's dayside magnetosphere; (b) dynamical wing filaments representing new channels of magnetic connection between the magnetosphere and foot points of the Sun's erupted flux rope; (c) cold CME ions observed with energized counter-streaming electrons, evidence of CME plasma captured due to by reconnection between magnetic-cloud and Alfvén-wing field lines. The reported measurements advance our knowledge of CME interaction with planetary magnetospheres, and open new opportunities to understand how sub-Alfv & eacute;nic plasma flows impact astrophysical bodies such as Mercury, moons of Jupiter, and exoplanets close to their host stars.
|
|
2. |
- Gingell, Imogen, et al.
(author)
-
MMS Observations and Hybrid Simulations of Surface Ripples at a Marginally Quasi-Parallel Shock
- 2017
-
In: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 122:11, s. 11003-11017
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)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.
|
|
3. |
- Schwartz, Steven J., et al.
(author)
-
Ion Kinetics in a Hot Flow Anomaly : MMS Observations
- 2018
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 45:21, s. 11520-11529
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)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.
|
|