Plasma convection in the low-latitude mantle of the near-earth magnetosphere

A detailed analysis of Geotail observations on June 1, 1997 provides evidence for the appearance of the plasma mantle at low-latitudes, Z_GSM 3 R_E for southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), and clarifies the characteristics of the plasma flow in the low-latitude mantle. The tailward flow speed in the mantle is 80 160 km/s, smaller than the flow speed (300 km/s) in the adjacent magnetosheath. The component of the velocity perpendicular to the magnetic field lines is predominantly poleward at speeds up to 60 km/s, and the convection tends to be stronger for |;B_Y|<|;B_Z| than for IMF |B_Y|>|B_Z|;. This polewardconvection can be interpreted as being driven by a J × B force operating on the field lines.     

镜模波识别方法研究及其在火星磁鞘中的应用

镜模波是温度各向异性等离子体中的一种波动结构,根据磁场和离子分布及波动特性可以进行识别.本文对比了只使用磁场数据与同时使用磁场及离子数据两种识别方法,分析了两类方法的特点.只使用磁场数据的方法基于磁场强度变化大、方向沿背景磁场的特征,通常使用磁场强度的波动幅度ΔB/|B|以及磁场变化方向与背景磁场的夹角θ_min,θ_max作为参数;同时使用磁场及粒子数据的方法利用的是磁场纵波特性、总压平衡和波动在等离子体坐标系下静止的特征.使用两种方法对MAVEN卫星在火星磁鞘内的数据进行识别,结果表明在某些情况下,只使用磁场数据会导致对镜模波的误判.通过研究改变上述参数阈值时识别结果的变化,发现当θ_min> 40°,θ_max < 40°,ΔB/|B|> 80%时,只用磁场数据可取得较好的识别效果.      

Diagnosing the storm-time ring current and other magnetospheric plasma domains using relativistic electron data

Ring current ions and relativistic electrons simultaneously measured on board MOLNIYA-1 are analyzed in comparison with the ground-based magnetometer data for the period of a strong magnetic storm (|D_st|max≈230 nT). Injection of >500 keV electrons into the slot region (L≈3) near equatorial plane is occurred on time scale ≈1 hour, when, during the magnetic storm maximum, the extreme low-latitude position of auroral electrojets is reached and ring current becomes more symmetrical. Positions of both the ring current maximum and electron intensity maximum (L_max) are consistent to our previous result: |D_st|_max = 2.75 • 10⁴/L⁴_max. An extreme storm-time low-latitude position of the west electrojet center (for amplitudes of |D_st|_max up to 600 nT) is shown to be in a good consistence with this empirical dependence. It is supposed the trapped radiation boundary collapses down to L≈L_max in the course of the storm main phase.     

Electrostatic Structure of the Electron Phase-space Holes Generated by the Electron Two-stream Instability with a Finite Width

Space satellite observations in an electron phase-space hole (electron hole) have shown that bipolar structures are discovered at the parallel cut of parallel electric field, while unipolar structures spring from the parallel cut of perpendicular electric field. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations have demonstrated that the electron bi-stream instability induces several electron holes during its nonlinear evolution. However, how the unipolar structure of the parallel cut of the perpendicular electric field formed in these electron holes is still an unsolved problem, especially in a strongly magnetized plasma (Ω_e > ω_pe, where Ω_e is defined as electron gyrofrequency and ω_pe is defined as plasma frequency, respectively). In this paper, with two-dimensional (2D) electrostatic PIC simulations, the evolution of the electron two-stream instability with a finite width in strongly magnetized plasma is investigated. Initially, those conditions lead to monochromatic electrostatic waves, and these waves coalesce with each other during their nonlinear evolution. At last, a solitary electrostatic structure is formed. In such an electron hole, a bipolar structure is formed in the parallel cut of parallel electric field, while a unipolar structure presents in the parallel cut of perpendicular electric field.      

MMS星座对磁层顶磁通量绳内离子惯性尺度结构的观测

利用MMS观测数据,对磁层顶通量绳内离子惯性尺度（d_i）的结构进行分析研究.结果发现,许多不同尺度（约1d_i至数十d_i）的通量绳内都存在具有d_i尺度的电流 j _m,其方向在磁层顶局地坐标系的-M方向,即与磁层顶查普曼-费拉罗电流同向,由电子在+M方向的运动（ v _em）携带.这些电流结构具有以下特征:磁鞘与磁层成分混合,磁场为开放形态;离子去磁化,电子与磁场冻结;N方向（即垂直于磁层顶电流片方向）的电场 E _n显著增大,幅度达到约20mV·m-1,并伴有明显的尖峰状起伏,该增强和尖峰状起伏的电场对应于霍尔电场.分析表明,电流、电子与离子运动的偏离以及霍尔电场之间遵从广义欧姆定律,三者密切关联.进一步对磁层顶磁重联的探测数据进行分析发现,在很多重联区内也存在与通量绳内相似的结构,其尺度约为d_i量级,其中霍尔电场 E _N、电流 j _M和电子速度 v _eM均与通量绳内对应物理量的方向相同且幅度相近.基于上述观测事实,采用经典FTE通量绳模型,对通量绳内电流、电子运动和霍尔电场的起源进行了初步探讨,认为其来源于磁层顶无碰撞磁重联区内的相应结构,并且后者在离子尺度通量绳的形成过程中起到重要作用.      

Effect of ion dynamics on the evolution of electron phase-space holes

The evolution of two-dimensional (2D) electron phase-space holes (electron holes) has been previously investigated with electrostatic Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations, which neglect ion dynamics. The electron holes are found to be unstable to the transverse instability, and their evolution is determined by the combined action between the transverse instability and the stabilization by the background magnetic field. In this paper, the effect of ion dynamics on the evolution of an electron hole is studied. In weakly magnetized plasma (Ω_e < ω_pe, where Ω_e and ω_pe are electron gyrofrequency and plasma frequency, respectively), the electron hole is still unstable to the transverse instability. However, it evolves a little faster and is destroyed in a shorter time when ion dynamics is considered. In strongly magnetized plasma (Ω_e > ω_pe), the electron hole is broken due to the lower hybrid waves, and its evolution is much faster.      

CRIT II electric, magnetic, and density observations in an ionizing neutral jet

Measurements inside a high velocity neutral barium beam show a factor of six increase in plasma density in a moving ionizing front. This region was co-located with intense electric fields (δE ≈ 300 mV/m²) perpendicular to the local geomagnetic field and field aligned currents all fluctuating at frequencies well under the lower hybrid frequency for barium but above the oxygen cycloton frequency. It was determined that these structures were moving with the barium stream near the neutral barium velocity. Large quasi-dc electric and magnetic field fluctuations were also detected. The heart of the ionizing front, a cross beam current of nearly 10 mA/m², was estimated from the magnetic field variation. This is three orders of magnitude higher than typical auroral zone currents associated with auroral arcs. This current sheet was co-located with fluxes of soft electrons which saturated the particle detector. An Alfvén wave with a finite electric field component parallel to the geomagnetic field was observed to propagate along B_o where it was detected by an instrumented sub-payload.     

火星空间大尺度电流体系分布特征

在MHD模型基础上, 对火星空间环境的电流分布进行了模拟. 结果表明, 火星空间存在着弓激波电流、磁堆积区电流、电离层电流和磁尾电流. 弓激波电流在激波曲面上均由北向南自成体系, 电流密度在弓激波顶区域较大. 在向阳面磁堆积区边界电流与电离层电流彼此耦合形成完整的回路, 在背阳面磁堆积区边界电流与磁尾中心电流片耦合形成完整的回路.      

Substorms in the inner plasma sheet

Thin Current Sheets (TCS) are regularly formed prior to substorm breakup, even in the near-Earth plasma sheet, as close as the geostationary orbit. A self-consistent kinetic theory describing the response of the plasma sheet to an electromagnetic perturbation is given. This perturbation corresponds to an external forcing, for instance caused by the solar wind (not an internal instability). The equilibrium of the configuration of this TCS in the presence of a time varying perturbation is shown to produce a strong parallel thermal anisotropy (T T) of energetic electrons and ions (E>50keV) as well as an enhanced diamagnetic current carried by low energy ions (E<50keV). Both currents tend to enhance the confinement of this current sheet near the magnetic equator. These results are compared with data gathered by GEOS-2 at the geostationary orbit, where the magnetic signatures of TCS, and parallel anisotropics are regularly observed prior to breakup. By ensuring quasi-neutrality everywhere we find, when low frequency electromagnetic perturbations are applied, that although the magnetic field line remains an equipotential to the lowest order in T_e/T_i, a field-aligned potential drop exists to the next order in (T_e/T_i). Thus the development of a TCS implies the formation of a field-aligned potential drop ( few hundred volts) to ensure the quasi-neutrality everywhere. For an earthward directed pressure gradient, a field-aligned electric field, directed towards the ionosphere, is obtained, on the western edge of the perturbation (i.e. western edge of the current sheet). Thus field aligned beams of electrons are expected to flow towards the equatorial region on the western edge of the current sheet. We study the stability of these electron beams and show that they are unstable to “High Frequency” (HF) waves. These “HF” waves are regularly observed at frequencies of the order of the proton gyrofrequency (f_H+) just before, or at breakup. The amplitude of these HF waves is so large that they can produce a strong pitch-angle diffusion of energetic ions and a spatial diffusion that leads to a reduction of the diamagnetic current. The signature of a fast ion diffusion is indeed regularly observed during the early breakup; it coincides with the sudden development of large amplitude transient fluctuations, ballooning modes, observed at much lower frequencies (fH+). These results suggest that the HF waves, generated by field-aligned electron beams, provide the dissipation which is necessary to destabilize low frequency (ballooning) modes.     

Current sheets in the solar atmosphere

The 2D and 3D numerical simulation is used for the investigation of current sheet (CS) creation above the active region. The current sheet in the solar corona can be created either in vicinity of a magnetic field singular line by focusing disturbances or at the interaction of the super-Alfvenic plasma flow with the perpendicular magnetic field.     

LMXB luminosity function and connection to globular cluster in early type galaxies

We derive bias-corrected X-ray luminosity functions (XLFs) of LMXBs detected in 14 E and S0 galaxies observed with Chandra. After correcting for incompleteness, the individual XLFs are statistically consistent with a single power-law. A break at or near L_X,Eddington , as previously reported, is not required in any individual case. The combined XLF with a reduced error, however, suggests a possible break at L_X = 5 × 10³⁸ erg s⁻¹, which may be consistent with the Eddington luminosity of neutron stars with the largest possible mass (3 M), or of He-enriched neutron star binaries. We confirm that the total X-ray luminosity of LMXBs is correlated with the the near-IR luminosities, but the scatter exceeds that expected from measurement errors. The scatter in L_X(LMXB)/L_K appears to be correlated with the specific frequency of globular clusters, as reported earlier.

We cross-correlate X-ray binaries with globular clusters determined by ground-based optical and HST observations in 6 giant elliptical galaxies. With the largest sample reported so far (300 GC LMXBs with a 5:2 ratio between red and blue GCs), we compare their X-ray properties, such as X-ray hardness, XLF and L_X/L_B and find no statistically significance difference between different groups of LMXBs. Regardless of their association with GCs, both GC and field LMXBs appear to follow the radial profile of the optical halo light, rather than that of more extended GCs. This suggests that while metallicity is a primary factor in the formation of LMXBs in GCs, there may be a secondary factor (e.g., encounter rate) playing a non-negligible role.     

Storm-time formation of a relativistic electron belt and some relevant phenomena in other magnetospheric plasma domains

An empirical formula relating the strength of a storm given by its |Dst|_max with the L-coordinate of the peak of storm-injected relativistic electrons is one of a few well-confirmed quantitative relations found in the magneto-spheric physics. We successively extended a dataset of the formula’s basic storms with several events of high Dst-amplitude up to the highest observed |Dst|_max = 600 nT. Possible applying of the formula to the predicting of the ring-current plasma-pressure distribution and the lowest westward electrojet position for a storm are discussed. We have also analyzed the 2000–2001 years’ data on relativistic electrons from our instruments installed on EXPRESS-A (geosynchronous orbit; E_e = 0.8–6 MeV), Molniya-3 (h = 500 × 40 000 km, i = 63°; E_e = 0.8–5.5 MeV) and GLONASS (h = 20 000 km, i = 64°; E_e  l MeV) along with other correlated measurements: GOES series (E_e > 2 MeV), geomagnetic indices (Dst, AE, AL) and interplanetary parameters (solar wind, IMF). The goal is to investigate which outer conditions are most responsible for the high/low output of the storm-injected relativistic electrons. For the geosynchronous orbit, two factors are found as the necessary condition of the highest electron output: high and long-lasting substorm activity on a storm recovery phase and high velocity of solar wind. On the contrary, extremely low substorm activity surely observed during whole the storm recovery phase constitutes a sufficient condition of the non-increased after-storm electron intensity. For the first time found cases of the increased after-storm electron intensity observed at the inner L-shells with no simultaneously seen increase in the geosynchronous distances are presented.     

Auroral signatures of transient processes in the outer magnetosphere

We present an analysis of sporadic and recurrent injections of magnetospheric ions in the midnight auroral oval during substorms and of the associated ionospheric ion outflows. The source of plasma sheet precipitating ions is determined using a simple method, based on the measured relation between the ion inverse velocity and time (l = v × t). This method is applied here to two typical passes of the Interball-Auroral (IA) satellite at distances of 3 R_E above the auroral regions. Substorm related ion injections are shown to be mainly due to time of flight effects. In contrast with particle trajectory computations (Sauvaud et al., 1999), the inverse velocity method does not require magnetic and electric field models and can thus be used systematically for the detection of time of flight dispersed ion structures (TDIS). This allowed us to build a large database of TDIS events and to perform a statistical analysis of their spatial distribution. For the cases presented here the source region of the injected ions is found at radial distances from 18 to 30 R_E near the equatorial magnetosphere. At Interball altitudes ( 3 R_E), ion injections detected at the poleward boundary of the nighside auroral oval are associated with shear Alfvén waves superimposed over large-scale quasi-static current structures. We show that the most poleward TDIS are collocated with a large outflow of ionospheric H⁺ and O⁺ displaying pitch-angle distributions peaked in the pitch-angle range 90°–120°. These ions are thus accelerated perpendicularly to the magnetic field not only in the main auroral acceleration region but also up to at least 3 R_E. The expanding auroral bulge thus constitutes a significant source of H⁺ and O⁺ ions for the mid-tail magnetosphere.     

The collective gyration of a heavy ion cloud in a magnetized plasma

In both the ionospheric barium injection experiments CRIT I and CRIT II, a long-duration oscillation was seen with a frequency close to the gyro frequency of barium and a time duration of about one second. A model for the phenomenon which was proposed for the CRIT 1 experiment is here compared to the results from CRIT II which made a much more complete set of measurements. The model follows the motion of a low-β ion cloud through a larger ambient plasma. The internal field of the model is close to antiparallel to the injection direction v_i but slightly tilted towards the self-polarization direction E_P = −v_ixB. As the ions move across the magnetic field, the space charge is continuously neutralized by magnetic-field aligned electron currents from the ambient ionosphere, drawn by the divergence in the perpendicular electric field. These currents give a perturbation of the magnetic field related to the electric field perturbation by ΔE/ΔB ≈ V_a. The model predictions agree quite well with the observed vector directions, field strengths, and decay times of the electric and magnetic fields in CRIT II. The possibility to extend the model to the active region, where the ions are produced in this type of self-ionizing injection experiments, is discussed.     

无碰撞低β磁流管中的非线性波

对无碰撞低β磁流管中柱对称状态下等离子体非线性静电波的存在进行了研究, 其结果表明: (1)若参数满足0<|(a/M2-1)E₀|<1, 存在着非线性周期波;(2)若|(a/M2-1)E₀|=1, 存在着隆起和下凹的孤立波, 也存在着激波;(3)若|(a/M2-1)E₀|>1, 存在着周期波, 也存在着隆起的孤立波。还对波的某些特性进行了研究。      

Magnetopause poleward of the cusp: Comparison of plasma and magnetic signature of the boundary for southward and northward directed interplanetary magnetic field

A coherent data set of high-latitude dayside magnetopause encounters by old (Heos 2, Hawkeye, Prognoz 7, 8) and new (Polar, Interball Tail, Cluster) spacecraft is needed to build a realistic model of the magnetopause (MP) including an indentation in the cusp. In building such a coherent data set a caution is necessary as the dayside magnetopause at high-latitudes may be less clearly defined than in the case of observations at low latitudes. It is due to expected presence of bundles of newly-reconnected magnetic field lines forming an extended boundary layer on the magnetosheath (MS) side of the magnetopause in the cusp region. Moreover, numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models of the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction predict that under northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) an additional thin current sheet should form inside the magnetopause at high latitudes on the dayside (e.g., Wu, 1983; Palmroth et al., 2001). Such a thin currect sheet is absent in empirical magnetosphere models. This internal current sheet, if a real one, may be mistaken for the magnetopause if magnetic field data are only taken into account and/or plasma data are unavailable. The Interball-Tail orbit allows for a full transition of magnetopause boundary layers at high-latitudes. We compare plasma and magnetic field signatures of the magnetopause poleward of the cusp for southward and northward IMF. The distance between the magnetic signature of the magnetopause (the current layer) and a cold and laminarly antisunward flowing MS plasma (so called free-flow MS) was found to be 0.5 to 1 R_E, at least. These observations were made under nominal solar wind of v350 km/s and p_dyn=1 to 4 nPa. We also observed several transient magnetic field reversals in the cusp related to pulses of solar wind dynamic pressure and/or the IMF discontinuity arrival. These transient reversals occurred at the same distance to the model MP as well defined full MP crossing, so most probably they represent just short encounters with the magnetopause current layer. Our analysis suggests that an indentation of the magnetopause with a subtle structure dependent on the local magnetic shear would explain and allow to predict the magnetic configuration in the high-altitude cusp.     

来自电离层的尾向流对近地磁场位形的影响

探测一号(TC-1)卫星的观测结果表明,尾向流能够拉伸近地磁尾的磁力线,从而导致磁场位形改变.尾向流具有垂直于磁场的速度分量,这种垂直磁场的速度分量会导致磁力线向尾向拉伸,磁场的结构由偶极型变为非偶极型.而随尾向流的终止,地向流的出现,磁场的结构由非偶极型变为偶极型,磁力线恢复原状.另外在磁场的结构由非偶极型变为偶极型的过程中,伴随磁能的释放热离子温度的迅速升高,温度由各向同性逐渐趋向各向异性.其次,观测结果显示来自电离层的尾向流对磁场By分量有重要的影响,能够引起磁场By分量的显著增强.上述分析结果表明来自电离层的尾向流对近地磁尾动力学过程有着重要的影响.      

From solar nanoflares to stellar giant flares: Scaling laws and non-implications for coronal heating

In this study we explore physical scaling laws applied to solar nanoflares, microflares, and large flares, as well as to stellar giant flares. Solar flare phenomena exhibit a fractal volume scaling, V(L)  L^1.9, with L being the flare loop length scale, which explains the observed correlation between the total emission measure EM_p and flare peak temperature T_p in both solar and stellar flares. However, the detected stellar flares have higher emission measures EM_p than solar flares at the same flare peak temperature T_p, which can be explained by a higher electron density that is caused by shorter heating scale height ratios s_H/L ≈ 0.04–0.1. Using these scaling laws we calculate the total radiated flare energies E_X and thermal flare energies E_T and find that the total counts C are a good proxy for both parameters. Comparing the energies of solar and stellar flares we find that even the smallest observed stellar flares exceed the largest solar flares, and thus their observed frequency distributions are hypothetically affected by an upper cutoff caused by the maximum active region size limit. The powerlaw slopes fitted near the upper cutoff can then not reliably be extrapolated to the microflare regime to evaluate their contribution to coronal heating.     

第23和24太阳活动周高纬地磁感应电流分布特性

基于高纬度芬兰Mäntsälä地区近两个太阳活动周期（1999—2017年）天然气传输管道的地磁感应电流（GIC,I_GIC）观测数据,统计研究了GIC扰动的分布特征以及强GIC扰动与磁暴和地磁亚暴的相关性.研究发现:95.83%时间段的GIC强度分布在0～1A之间.定义:若某个时间段|I_GIC|_max> 1A,则认为发生GIC扰动;|I_GIC|_max>10A,则认为发生强GIC扰动事件.GIC扰动在磁地方时夜侧附近发生的概率最高,这主要与地磁亚暴发生期间电离层电流最剧烈的变化发生在磁地方时夜侧附近有关;强GIC扰动经常爆发式出现,且都发生在磁暴期间,但大多数磁暴并不伴随强GIC扰动事件发生.磁暴急始驱动的强GIC扰动事件较少,由磁层压缩引起地磁场突然增强驱动的强GIC扰动事件持续时间较短;强GIC扰动事件主要发生在磁暴主相和恢复相,由环电流变化驱动的强GIC扰动事件一般持续时间较长且强度较大.      

行星际磁场时钟角与地球磁层开放磁通的关系

地球磁层开放磁通F_pc是研究磁层动力学过程的重要参数之一,其与日侧和夜侧磁尾的磁场重联具有密切关系. 日侧重联率控制稳定状态下磁层开放磁通的大小,主要受各种太阳风条件的影响. 其中,行星际磁场（IMF）的时钟角是影响日侧重联率的一个重要因素. 通过全球MHD模拟,研究了行星际磁场时钟角θ_c与地球磁层开放磁通F_pc 之间的关系. 结果表明,开放磁通F_pc随着行星际磁场时钟角 θ_c逐渐接近180°（纯南向）而逐渐增加,两者之间的关系近似为F_pc∝sin3/2（θ_c/2）. 由于表征行星际磁场与地球磁场剪切程度的θ_c影响日侧重联率,从而控制F_pc,该关系反映了二者之间的物理联系.