Intrinsic time scale for reconnection on the dayside magnetopause

Recently much attention has been focused on the transient behavior of the magnetopause in response to pressure pulses and southward fluctuations of the interplanetary magnetic field. We examine the motion of the magnetopause behind the foreshock and conclude that this motion is affected by foreshock pressure variations but not by fluctuations in the direction of the magnetic field. Neither magnetopause erosion nor flux transfer event occurrence is controlled by the foreshock. On the contrary, flux transfer events occur at times of steady IMF and thier quasi-periodic behavior is controlled by the magnetopause or the magnetosphere and is not driven by the external boundary conditions. Since flux transfer events are clearly due to reconnection, this observation implies that the IMF must be southward some time perhaps as long as 7 minutes before flux transfer begins.     

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 the Interplanetary Electric Field on the Magnetopause From Global MHD Simulations

The north-south component B_z of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) and solar wind dynamic pressure P_d are generally treated as the two main factors in the solar wind that determine the geometry of the magnetosphere. By using the 3D global MHD simulations, we investigate the effect of the Interplanetary Electric Field (IEF) on the size and shape of magnetopause quantitatively. Our numerical experiments confirm that the geometry of the magnetopause are mainly determined by P_dB_z, as expected. However, the dawn-dusk IEFs have great impact on the magnetopause erosion because of the magnetic reconnection, thus affecting the size and shape of the magnetopause. Higher solar wind speed with the same B_z will lead to bigger dawn-dusk IEFs, which means the higher reconnection rate, and then results in more magnetic flux removal from the dayside. Consequently, the dayside magnetopause moves inward and flank magnetopause moves outward.      

磁层顶通量传输事件轴向统计分析

磁层顶通量传输事件（Flux Transfer Event,FTE）与磁重联相关,其典型特征为磁场法向分量的双极变化.在不同FTE模型里,FTE结构可能为重联的通量管、由多X线重联形成的闭合磁通量绳或者由单X线重联形成的开放磁场环,从而在磁层顶有不同的整体位形.使用一种新的轴向分析方法,对Cluster在一个向阳面磁层顶穿越季观测到的505个FTE进行统计研究.结果表明:在磁层顶中低纬度的侧翼,大多数FTE轴向均为沿磁层磁力线方向即南北方向,少数FTE轴向沿着不同于磁层磁力线方向的东西方向;在高纬磁层顶,大多数FTE轴向沿东西方向,少数FTE轴向沿着磁层磁力线方向即南北方向.这些统计特征有助于重新认识FTE的全球形态.      

Detection of FTEs by the AMPTE-UKS magnetometer

The AMPTE-UKS spacecraft repeatedly crossed the dayside magnetopause during its five month period of operation (August 1984 – January 1985). We have surveyed magnetometer records from these magnetopause encounters and compiled a catalogue of flux transfer events (FTEs) using the same identification criteria as Rijnbeek et al. /1/ used in their survey of ISEE data. This catalogue comprises 59 events detected on 41 orbits. Comparing occurrence statistics we find the rate of detection of FTEs by UKS is down by a factor of 2.5 on that recorded by the ISEE spacecraft in 1977 and 1978. We suggest the lower latitude of the UKS magnetopause encounters is responsible for this discrepancy.     

太阳风向磁层输入电磁能量研究

利用全球磁流体力学（MHD）模拟结果,通过确立包含磁层顶的太阳风流线内边界来识别三维磁层顶位形,并以极尖区位置作为磁层顶日侧与夜侧的分界线,在此基础上定量研究了不同条件下穿过磁层顶向磁层内输入的电磁能量. 研究发现,磁层顶的能量传输与太阳风条件密切相关,磁重联是控制电磁能量传输的重要机制. 结果表明,当IMF（行星际磁场）南向时,极尖区后方的磁尾附近存在电磁能输入最大值,当IMF北向时,电磁能输入最大值发生在极尖区附近;南向IMF条件下,在IMF强度增大或太阳风密度增大时,磁层顶电磁能传输的电磁能量比北向IMF条件时增加更显著. 太阳风通过调节磁层顶面积间接影响到磁层顶能量传输大小. 研究还发现,北向IMF与南向IMF条件下穿过磁层顶的电磁能输入的比值范围约为10%～30%,此比值一定程度上反映了北、南方向IMF与地磁场磁重联效率的比值.      

Spatial distribution of the magnetosheath ion flux

The magnetosheath plays a crucial role in solar wind-magnetosphere interaction because it is the magnetosheath magnetic field and plasma that interact with the magnetopause and magnetosphere, not the unshocked solar wind. We are presenting ion flux measurement statistics at both the dawn and dusk flanks of the magnetosheath and their comparison with a gasdynamic magnetosheath model. The study is based on three years of INTERBALL-1 measurements supported by simultaneous WIND solar wind and magnetic field observations. Statistical processing has shown (1) the limitations of the gasdynamic model, (2) the conditions favorable for the creation of a plasma depletion layer adjacent to the flank magnetopause, (3) strong dawn-dusk asymmetry of the ion fluxes, and (4) an evidence for the presence of a slow mode front adjacent to the magnetopause.     

Analytical MHD model of three-dimensional time-dependent reconnection in a compressible plasma

We describe and analyse a model of three-dimensional time-varying reconnection in which the effect of surface waves is neglected. Reconnection is assumed to be caused by a localized decrease of the plasma conductivity inside the diffusion region. The localized dissipation gives rise to an electric field E^*, which determines the reconnection rate. As a result, the current sheet decays into a system of large-amplitude MHD waves, which propagate along the current sheet and thereby induce perturbations in the surrounding medium. Our model is applied to the case of reconnection at the magnetopause, in particular to the signatures referred to as FTEs (flux transfer events).     

上游太阳风中高能电子向同步轨道区的传输

通常认为，同步轨道区的电子通量增加是由于磁暴或者上游太阳风高速流的扰动所引起．近来的观测表明，起源于太阳活动的行星际高能电子也是引起同步轨道电子通量增加的重要原因之一．Zhao等在研究2000年7月14日太阳剧烈活动时发现，同步轨道区相对论电子通量巨幅增加时没有观察到上游太阳风高速流的扰动，并且磁暴发生在电子通量事件之后．采用解析磁场模型和实际磁场模型(T96模型)模拟来自太阳的相对论电子在磁尾中的运动特性．计算结果表明，当行星际磁场南向时，进入到磁尾的行星际相对论电子可以从较远的磁尾区域运动到同步轨道区域．这一研究结果从理论上论证了起源于太阳活动的高能电子可以对同步轨道区相对论电子通量的增加产生重要的作用．     

ISEE-1 and -2 observations of magnetotail flux ropes: FTEs in the plasma sheet?

ISEE-1 and 2 observations from about 20 Re down the near-Earth magnetotail indicate the presence of magnetic flux ropes in the neutral sheet. Magnetic and electric field and fast plasma data show that these structures convect across the spacecraft at speeds of 200–600-km/s, and have scale sizes of roughly 3–5-Re. The rope axis orientation is approximately cross-tail. Their magnetic structure is similar to Venus ionospheric flux ropes, and to flux transfer events at the dayside magnetopause. These structures may arise from patchy reconnection or tearing mode reconnection within the plasma sheet.     

On the modular approach of a 3D model of the system magnetosheath–magnetosphere

This article presents some preliminary features of a new self consistent model of the system magnetosheath–magnetosphere, recently developed in the Institute of Mechanics, Sofia, Bulgaria. The flow in the magnetosheath is governed by 3D ideal gas-dynamic equations. The positions and the shapes of the bow shock and the magnetopause are calculated iteratively as a part of the solution. These surfaces are essentially three-dimensional (generally non-axially-symmetric). The self-consistency between the regions is ensured via the boundary conditions. The magnetopause cusp indentations are formed, influencing essentially the magnetosheath flow. Prediction of the position and the shape of the bow shock for different values of the sonic Mach number are derived. Distribution of some flow parameters in the magnetosheath is presented. 3D numerical finite element model, calculating the field due to the magnetopause currents for an arbitrary magnetopause geometry, is used in the magnetosphere. The fields due to the current systems inside the magnetosphere(cross-tail current, ring current, and Birkeland current) are taken from the Tsyganenko empirical model. The magnetopause surface is calculated from the requirement the outside gas-dynamic pressure to be balanced by the magnetic pressure inside. The magnetosphere model can be viewed as an improved version of the empirical model but with more realistic magnetopause form and shielding field. Not a final but a beta version is used in this approach. The final model version as well the model details will be presented elsewhere.     

On the origin of the high-latitude boundary layer

This paper presents a statistical study of the high-latitude boundary layer (HLBL) performed on 53 Interball-1 magnetopause crossings. In the study we verify if antiparallel merging is the main source of HLBL formation when the IMF is nearly horizontal. To provide such a study we designed a new coordinate system which allowed us to analyze HLBL under varied interplanetary conditions. This coordinate system floats over the dayside magnetopause following the changes in the instant location of the reconnection site. Despite very different interplanetary conditions, the observed HLBL plasma regimes manifest systematic behavior in the “reconnection” frame of reference. We explain the observed pattern in terms of sporadic patchy reconnection in the high magnetic shear region of the magnetopause.     

极端太阳风条件下的磁层顶位形

基于极端太阳风条件下的三维MHD数值模拟数据, 构建了一种极端太阳风条件下的三维非对称磁层顶位形模型. 所提出的模型考虑了行星际南向磁场(IMF) B_z日下点距离侵蚀的饱和效应, 太阳风动压B_d对磁层顶张角影响的饱和效应, 赤道面、昼夜子午面磁层顶的不对称性以及极尖区的内凹结构和内凹中心的移动, 并利用Levenberg-Marquart多参量非线性拟合方法拟合了模型参数. 数值模拟研究表明, 在极端太阳风条件下, 随B_d增大, 磁层顶日下点距离减小, 磁层顶磁尾张角几乎不变; 随南向(IMF)B_z增大, 磁层顶日下点距离略有减小, 磁层顶磁尾张角减小, 极尖区内凹中心向低纬移动. 通过对2010年8月1日太阳风暴事件验证发现, 本文所建立的模型能够描述极端太阳风条件下的三维磁层顶位形.      

磁层顶附近流场剪切度的确定

磁层顶附近的流场剪切度与磁层顶附近能量转换的程度有关.很多磁层顶数值模拟用到流场剪切度这个输入参数,但一直是假设的.本文利用Cluster多卫星同时观测数据及独特的时空分辨功能,采用线性插值和重心坐标的方法确定了磁层顶附近流场的剪切度.通过对晨侧和昏侧磁层顶及附近磁层磁鞘流场剪切度的真实空间分布的研究结果表明,在平静的太阳风条件和地磁条件下磁层顶附近流场剪切度有时也很大,可达每百公里330 km/s的相对速度差.但在很多情况下流场是弱剪切的,在上千公里的距离上只有每秒几十公里的相对速度差.本文确定流场剪切度的方法可以推广用来确定任一位置的流场剪切度.      

磁层氧离子向磁鞘泄漏的机制和效应

１９９７年 １月 １０日磁暴期间， Ｇｅｏｔａｉｌ卫星在向阳侧的磁鞘中观测到了磁层氧离子突增事件．这些氧离子的出现和磁鞘中存在很强的南向行星际磁场有关．事件期间向阳面发生了准静态的磁重联，氧离子流存在由北向南的速度分量．通量突增过程具有逆向和正向能量色散现象，磁层内部只有氧离子有可能被梯度漂移输送到重联区，所以只有氧离子在磁鞘中持续地被观测到．估计氧离子的逃逸速率为 ０．６１× １０２３／ｓ，大约为环电流氧离子输入率的 ３３％．大量的环电流氧离子由磁层跑到了磁鞘，导致环电流指数 ＡＳＹ－Ｈ呈现明显的非对称性．     

磁层顶穿越事件自动识别算法

磁层顶是太阳风与磁层进行质量、动量、能量交换的关键区域.磁层顶穿越事件(MCEs)可通过对卫星探测到的粒子能谱和磁场数据图进行人工分析的方式来识别.因太阳风动压和行星际磁场的易变性,位于磁层顶附近的卫星经过长期观测可能会经历成千上万次的磁层顶穿越.人工分析的方法工作量巨大,而且识别速度慢.本文发展了一种新的日下点附近M...     

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.      

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.     

Plasma flow variations and energetic protons upstream of the earth’s bow shock: A statistical study

Foreshock is a special region located upstream of the Earth’s bow shock characterized by the presence of various plasma waves and fluctuations caused by the interaction of the solar wind plasma with particles reflected from the bow shock or escaping from the magnetosphere. On the other hand, foreshock fluctuations may modify the bow shock structure and, being carried through the magnetosheath, influence the magnetopause. During the years 1995–2000, the INTERBALL-1 satellite made over 10,000 hours of plasma and energetic particles measurements in the solar wind upstream of the Earth’s bow shock. We have sorted intervals according to the level of solar wind ion flux fluctuations and/or according to the flux of back-streaming energetic protons. An analysis of connection between a level of ion flux fluctuations and fluxes of high-energy protons and their relation to the IMF orientation is presented.     

Variations of the magnetosheath ion flux and geomagnetic activity

The magnetosheath plays a dominant role in the Sun–Earth connection because the magnetosheath field and plasma actually interact with the magnetosphere. The interactions change the magnetospheric magnetic field from its nominal value through a long chain of different processes. The change is usually described by geomagnetic indices and thus it can be expected that these indices would reflect changes in the magnetosheath. The present paper analyzes the relation between geomagnetic activity characterized by changes of the K_p, D_ST and AE indices and ion flux measured in the night-side magnetosheath. The results suggest a weak dependence of the D_ST index on the ion flux in the inner magnetosheath that is connected with a magnetopause displacement. On the other hand, fluctuations of the ion flux in the analyzed frequency range do not correlate with any of the indices.