Journal article
Ion-scale secondary flux ropes generated by magnetopause reconnection as resolved by MMS
Geophysical research letters, Vol.43(10), pp.4716-4724
05/28/2016
DOI: 10.1002/2016GL068747
PMCID: PMC5001194
PMID: 27635105
Abstract
New Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations of small-scale (~7 ion inertial length radius) flux transfer events (FTEs) at the dayside magnetopause are reported. The 10 km MMS tetrahedron size enables their structure and properties to be calculated using a variety of multispacecraft techniques, allowing them to be identified as flux ropes, whose flux content is small (~22 kWb). The current density, calculated using plasma and magnetic field measurements independently, is found to be filamentary. Intercomparison of the plasma moments with electric and magnetic field measurements reveals structured non-frozen-in ion behavior. The data are further compared with a particle-in-cell simulation. It is concluded that these small-scale flux ropes, which are not seen to be growing, represent a distinct class of FTE which is generated on the magnetopause by secondary reconnection.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Ion-scale secondary flux ropes generated by magnetopause reconnection as resolved by MMS
- Creators
- J. P. Eastwood - Imperial College LondonT. D. Phan - University of California, BerkeleyP. A. Cassak - West Virginia UniversityD. J. Gershman - Goddard Space Flight CenterC. Haggerty - University of DelawareK. Malakit - Mahidol UniversityM. A. Shay - University of DelawareR. Mistry - Imperial College LondonM. Øieroset - University of California, BerkeleyC. T. Russell - University of California, Los AngelesJ. A. Slavin - University of MichiganM. R. Argall - University of New HampshireL. A. Avanov - Goddard Space Flight CenterJ. L. Burch - Southwest Research InstituteL. J. Chen - Goddard Space Flight CenterJ. C. Dorelli - Goddard Space Flight CenterR. E. Ergun - University of Colorado BoulderB. L. Giles - Goddard Space Flight CenterY. Khotyaintsev - Swedish Institute of Space PhysicsB. Lavraud - Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-PyrénéesP. A. Lindqvist - KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyT. E. Moore - Goddard Space Flight CenterR. Nakamura - Austrian Academy of SciencesW. Paterson - Goddard Space Flight CenterC. Pollock - Usibelli Coal Mine (United States)R. J. Strangeway - University of California, Los AngelesR. B. Torbert - University of New HampshireS. Wang - Goddard Space Flight Center
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Geophysical research letters, Vol.43(10), pp.4716-4724
- DOI
- 10.1002/2016GL068747
- PMID
- 27635105
- PMCID
- PMC5001194
- NLM abbreviation
- Geophys Res Lett
- ISSN
- 0094-8276
- eISSN
- 1944-8007
- Number of pages
- 9
- Grant note
- UK Research and Innovation (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100014013) NNX13AD72G / National Aeronautics and Space Administration AGS-1219382 / National Stroke Foundation NNX08AO83G / National Aeronautics and Space Administration NNX16AF75G / National Aeronautics and Space Administration ST/G00725X/1; ST/K001051/1 / Science and Technology Facilities Council (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/501100000271) National Science Foundation (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100000001) 1219382; AGS-1219382 / National Science Foundation (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100000001) Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/501100002830) NNX16AF75G; NNX13AD72G; NNX08AO83G / National Aeronautics and Space Administration (http://data.elsevier.com/vocabulary/SciValFunders/100000104)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/28/2016
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9985224319902771
Metrics
1 Record Views