Transient, small‐scale field‐aligned currents in the plasma sheet boundary layer during storm time substorms

R Nakamura; B. J Anderson; D. N Baker; A. N Jaynes; V. A Sergeev; W Baumjohann; F Plaschke; W Magnes; D Fischer; A Varsani; D Schmid; T. K. M Nakamura; C. T Russell; R. J Strangeway; H. K Leinweber; G Le; K. R Bromund; D. J Gershman; C. J Pollock; B. L Giles; J. C Dorelli; L. A Avanov; W Paterson; S. A Fuselier; K Genestreti; J. L Burch; R. B Torbert; M Chutter; M. R Argall; P.‐A Lindqvist; G. T Marklund; Y. V Khotyaintsev; B. H Mauk; I. J Cohen; R. E Ergun; H. J Singer; J. A Slavin; E. L Kepko; T. E Moore; B Lavraud; V Coffey; Y Saito

doi:10.1002/2016GL068768

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Transient, small‐scale field‐aligned currents in the plasma sheet boundary layer during storm time substorms

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Transient, small‐scale field‐aligned currents in the plasma sheet boundary layer during storm time substorms

R Nakamura, B. J Anderson, D. N Baker, A. N Jaynes, V. A Sergeev, W Baumjohann, F Plaschke, W Magnes, D Fischer, A Varsani, …

Geophysical research letters, Vol.43(10), pp.4841-4849

05/28/2016

DOI: 10.1002/2016GL068768

PMCID: PMC5111425

PMID: 27867235

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Abstract

We report on field‐aligned current observations by the four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft near the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) during two major substorms on 23 June 2015. Small‐scale field‐aligned currents were found embedded in fluctuating PSBL flux tubes near the separatrix region. We resolve, for the first time, short‐lived earthward (downward) intense field‐aligned current sheets with thicknesses of a few tens of kilometers, which are well below the ion scale, on flux tubes moving equatorward/earthward during outward plasma sheet expansion. They coincide with upward field‐aligned electron beams with energies of a few hundred eV. These electrons are most likely due to acceleration associated with a reconnection jet or high‐energy ion beam‐produced disturbances. The observations highlight coupling of multiscale processes in PSBL as a consequence of magnetotail reconnection. Multipoint multiscale observations of field‐aligned currents during storm time substorms Small‐scale intense field‐aligned currents are found embedded in PSBL flux tubes near separatrix region Field‐aligned low‐energy electron beams correlate with short‐lived localized field‐aligned currents

Ionosphere

Current Systems

electron beam

Field-Aligned Currents and Current Systems

field‐aligned currents

First results from NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission

Instruments and Techniques

Ionosphere Interactions

Magnetic Reconnection

Magnetosphere

Magnetosphere Interactions

Magnetospheric Physics

Magnetotail Boundary Layers

MMS

PSBL

Research Letter

Research Letters

Solar Physics, Astrophysics, and Astronomy

Space Plasma Physics

Details

Title: Subtitle: Transient, small‐scale field‐aligned currents in the plasma sheet boundary layer during storm time substorms
Creators: R Nakamura - Austrian Academy of Sciences
B. J Anderson - Johns Hopkins University
D. N Baker - University of Colorado Boulder
A. N Jaynes - University of Colorado Boulder
V. A Sergeev - St Petersburg University
W Baumjohann - Austrian Academy of Sciences
F Plaschke - Austrian Academy of Sciences
W Magnes - Austrian Academy of Sciences
D Fischer - Austrian Academy of Sciences
A Varsani - Austrian Academy of Sciences
D Schmid - Austrian Academy of Sciences
T. K. M Nakamura - Austrian Academy of Sciences
C. T Russell - University of California, Los Angeles
R. J Strangeway - University of California, Los Angeles
H. K Leinweber - University of California, Los Angeles
G Le - Goddard Space Flight Center
K. R Bromund - Goddard Space Flight Center
D. J Gershman - Goddard Space Flight Center
C. J Pollock - Goddard Space Flight Center
B. L Giles - Goddard Space Flight Center
J. C Dorelli - Goddard Space Flight Center
L. A Avanov - Goddard Space Flight Center
W Paterson - Goddard Space Flight Center
S. A Fuselier - Southwest Research Institute
K Genestreti - Southwest Research Institute
J. L Burch - Southwest Research Institute
R. B Torbert - University of New Hampshire
M Chutter - University of New Hampshire
M. R Argall - University of New Hampshire
P.‐A Lindqvist - KTH Royal Institute of Technology
G. T Marklund - KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Y. V Khotyaintsev - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
B. H Mauk - Johns Hopkins University
I. J Cohen - Johns Hopkins University
R. E Ergun - University of Colorado Boulder
H. J Singer - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
J. A Slavin - University of Michigan
E. L Kepko - Goddard Space Flight Center
T. E Moore - Goddard Space Flight Center
B Lavraud - Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique (CNRST)
V Coffey - Marshall Space Flight Center
Y Saito - JAXA Institute for Space and Astronautical Science Sagamihara Japan
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.43(10), pp.4841-4849
DOI: 10.1002/2016GL068768
PMID: 27867235
PMCID: PMC5111425
NLM abbreviation: Geophys Res Lett
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Inc
Grant note: I2016-N20 / Austrian Science Fund FWF ATM-0739864; ATM-1420184 / NSF
Alternative title: NAKAMURA ET AL
Language: English
Date published: 05/28/2016
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy; University College Courses
Record Identifier: 9984199797902771

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