Journal article
On the origins of magnetic flux ropes in near‐Mars magnetotail current sheets
Geophysical research letters, Vol.44(15), pp.7653-7662
08/16/2017
DOI: 10.1002/2017GL073754
Abstract
We analyze Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) observations of magnetic flux ropes embedded in Martian magnetotail current sheets, in order to evaluate the role of magnetotail reconnection in their generations. We conduct a minimum variance analysis to infer the generation processes of magnetotail flux ropes from the geometrical configuration of the individual flux rope axial orientation with respect to the overall current sheet. Of 23 flux ropes detected in current sheets in the near‐Mars (∼1–3 Martian radii downstream) magnetotail, only 3 (possibly 4) can be explained by the magnetotail reconnection scenario, while the vast majority of the events (19 events) are more consistent with flux ropes that are originally generated in the dayside ionosphere and subsequently transported into the nightside magnetotail. The mixed origins of the detected flux ropes imply complex nature of generation and transport of Martian magnetotail flux ropes.
Key Points
Instances of magnetic flux ropes within near‐Mars magnetotail current sheets are observed that have a wide variety of orientations
Only 3 of the 23 flux ropes analyzed here have orientations within 30 degrees of the cross‐tail current direction
Majority has large angles to the cross‐tail current direction consistent with those formed in ionosphere and transported into magnetotail
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- On the origins of magnetic flux ropes in near‐Mars magnetotail current sheets
- Creators
- Takuya Hara - University of California, BerkeleyYuki Harada - University of California, BerkeleyDavid L Mitchell - University of California, BerkeleyGina A DiBraccio - Goddard Space Flight CenterJared R Espley - Goddard Space Flight CenterDavid A Brain - University of Colorado BoulderJasper S Halekas - University of IowaKanako Seki - The University of TokyoJanet G Luhmann - University of California, BerkeleyJames P McFadden - University of California, BerkeleyChristian Mazelle - Université de ToulouseBruce M Jakosky - University of Colorado Boulder
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Geophysical research letters, Vol.44(15), pp.7653-7662
- DOI
- 10.1002/2017GL073754
- ISSN
- 0094-8276
- eISSN
- 1944-8007
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- Grant‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research (16H02229) CNES Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (15H0731) NASA MAVEN project
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/16/2017
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984199756002771
Metrics
18 Record Views