Origin of energetic ions in the polar cusp inferred from ion composition measurements by the Viking satellite

The magnetospheric ion composition spectrometer MICS on the Swedish Viking satellite provided measurements of the ion composition in the energy range 10.1 keV/e\leqE/Q\leq326.0 keV/e. Data obtained during orbit 842 were used to investigate the ion distribution in the northern polar cusp and its vicinity. The satellite traversed the outer ring current, boundary region, cusp proper and plasma mantle during its poleward movement. H⁺ and He⁺⁺ ions were encountered in all of these regions. He⁺ ions were present only in the ring current. The number of O⁺ and O⁺⁺ ions was very small. Heavy high-charge state ions typical for the solar wind were observed for the first time, most of them in the poleward part of the boundary region and in the cusp proper. The H⁺ ions exhibited two periods with high intensities. One of them, called the BR/CP event, appeared at energies up to 50 keV. It started at the equatorward limit of the boundary region and continued into the cusp proper. Energy spectra indicate a ring current origin for the BR/CP event. Pitch angle distributions show downward streaming of H⁺ ions at its equatorward limit and upward streaming on the poleward side. This event is interpreted as the result of pitch angle scattering of ring current ions by fluctuations in the magnetopause current layer in combination with poleward convection. The other of the two periods with high H⁺ ion intensities, called the accelerated ion event, was superimposed on the BR/CP event. It was restricted to energies \leq15 keV and occurred in the poleward part of the boundary region. This event is regarded as the high-energy tail of magnetosheath ions that were accelerated while penetrating into the magnetosphere. The cusp region thus contains ions of magnetospheric as well as of magnetosheath origin. The appearance of the ions depends, in addition to the ion source, on the magnetic field configuration and dynamic processes inside and close to the cusp.     

Energy time dispersion of a new class of magnetospheric ion events observed near the Earth’s bow shock

We have analyzed high time resolution (6 s) data during the onset and the decay phase of several energetic (35 keV) ion events observed near the Earths bow shock by the CCE/AMPTE and IMP-7/8 spacecraft, during times of intense substorm/geomagnetic activity. We found that forward energy dispersion at the onset of events (earlier increase of middle energy ions) and/or a delayed fall of the middle energy ion fluxes at the end of events are often evident in high time resolution data. The energy spectra at the onset and the decay of this kind of events show a characteristic hump at middle (50–120 keV) energies and the angular distributions display either anisotropic or broad forms. The time scale of energy dispersion in the ion events examined was found to range from several seconds to 1 h depending on the ion energies compared and on the rate of variation of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) direction. Several canditate processes are discussed to explain the observations and it is suggested that a rigidity dependent transport process of magnetospheric particles within the magnetosheath is most probably responsible for the detection of this new type of near bow shock magnetospheric ion events. The new class of ion events was observed within both the magnetosheath and the upstream region.     

Influence of Solar Wind Plasma Parameters on the Intensity of Isolated Magnetospheric Substorms

Parameters of the interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind plasma during periods of 163 isolated substorms have been studied. It is shown that the solar wind velocity V and plasma density N remain approximately constant for at least 3 h before substorm onset Т _o and 1 h after Т _o . On average, the velocity of the solar wind exhibits a stable trend toward anticorrelation with its density over the whole data array. However, the situation is different if the values of V and N are considered with respect to the intensity of substorms observed during that period. With the growth of substorm intensity, quantified as the maximum absolute value of AL index, an increase in both the solar wind plasma velocity and density, at which these substorms appear, is obsreved. It has been found that the magnitude of the solar wind dynamic pressure P is closely related to the magnetosphere energy load defined as averaged values of the Kan–Lee electric field E_KL and Newell parameter dΦ/dt averaged for 1 h interval before Т _o . The growth of the dynamic pressure is accompanied by an increase in the load energy necessary for substorm generation. This interrelation between P and values of EKL and dΦ/dt is absent in other, arbitrarily chosen periods. It is believed that the processes accompanying increasing dynamic pressure of the solar wind result in the formation of magnetosphere conditions that increasingly impede substorm generation. Thus, the larger is P, the more solar wind energy must enter the Earth’s magnetosphere during the period of the growth phase for substorm generation. This energy is later released during the period of the substorm expansion phase and creates even more intense magnetic bays.     

Large-scale fields and flows in the magnetosphere-ionosphere system

Advances in our understanding of the large-scale electric and magnetic fields in the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere system are reviewed. The literature appearing in the period January 1991–June 1993 is sorted into 8 general areas of study. The phenomenon of substorms receives the most attention in this literature, with the location of onset being the single most discussed issue. However, if the magnetic topology in substorm phases was widely debated, less attention was paid to the relationship of convection to the substorm cycle. A significantly new consensus view of substorm expansion and recovery phases emerged, which was termed the Kiruna Conjecture after the conference at which it gained widespread acceptance. The second largest area of interest was dayside transient events, both near the magnetopause and the ionosphere. It became apparent that these phenomena include at least two classes of events, probably due to transient reconnection bursts and sudden solar wind dynamic pressure changes. The contribution of both types of event to convection is controversial. The realisation that induction effects decouple electric fields in the magnetosphere and ionosphere, on time scales shorter than several substorm cycles, calls for broadening of the range of measurement techniques in both the ionosphere and at the magnetopause. Several new techniques were introduced including ionospheric observations which yield reconnection rate as a function of time. The magnetospheric and ionospheric behaviour due to various quasi-steady interplanetary conditions was studied using magnetic cloud events. For northward IMF conditions, reverse convection in the polar cap was found to be predominantly a summer hemisphere phenomenon and even for extremely rare prolonged southward IMF conditions, the magnetosphere was observed to oscillate through various substorm cycles rather than forming a steady-state convection bay.Reporter view, presented to Commission III of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy at 7th IAGA Scientific Assembly, Buenos Aires, Argentina, August 1993.     

Effect of substorms in the Earth’s nightside sector on variations in the surface atmospheric electric field at polar and equatorial latitudes

We performed an analysis of mean daily variations in the ΔEz atmospheric electric field at the Hornsund (located near the polar cap boundary) and Kakioka (located at near-equatorial latitudes) observatories under magnetically quiet and weakly disturbed conditions. At both observatories, the mean daily variations in ΔEz were found to be mainly controlled by the location of the observation point with respect to the focuses of the convective vortices of the DP ₀ system. The substorm evolution in the nightside of the magnetosphere (a sharp burst in the AE index) was shown to lead to negative variations in ΔEz in the dayside sector at polar latitudes (the Hornsund observatory) and positive deviations in ΔEz at premidnight time at equatorial latitudes (the Kakioka observatory). It is concluded that variations in ΔEz at the Kakioka observatory are largely controlled by the equatorial electrojet, which is maximal during day-time hours, and at the Hornsund observatory these variations are controlled by the auroral electrojet, which is maximal at night-time and early morning hours of local time.     

Global distribution of energetic proton precipitations equatorward of the boundary of isotropic fluxes

Based on data of the NOAA POES satellite, the global distribution of the occurrence rate of precipitations of energetic protons (E > 30 keV) equatorward of the boundary of isotropic fluxes has been constructed for the first time. It has been shown that the occurrence rate of proton precipitations inside the zone of anisotropic fluxes is maximum in daytime hours (1100–1600 MLT) at latitudes L = 6–9 and decreases in evening and morning hours. Comparison of the obtained results about proton precipitations with the spatial distribution of the occurrence rate of electromagnetic ion–cyclotron (EMIC) waves in the equatorial magnetosphere according to results of satellite observations demonstrates a close relationship between them. This corroborates that precipitations of energetic protons equatorward of the boundary of isotropic fluxes are a consequence of the development of the ion–cyclotron instability in the equatorial magnetosphere.     

The Equatorial Ring Current as a Part of a Coupled System

The equatorial ring current is the symmetrical plasmaspheric drift current of energetic plasma trapped by the geomagnetic field. Assuming that, during a geomagnetic storm, the ring can exchange energy with other regions of the magnetosphere, a second-order differential equation must be considered as its dynamical expression, and contributions other than the solely solar-wind-induced electric field must express the forced input. The decay parameters of the recovery phase of the storm must be determined considering periods with Bz(IMF) Bz(IMF) 0.     

Ion dynamics associated with substorm dipolarization fronts

We report where and how ions are accelerated in the proximity of earthward propagating dipolarization fronts(DFs) in the magnetotail during a magnetospheric substorm on February 15, 2008. Two DFs were observed by multiple THEMIS spacecraft in the near-Earth magnetotail(~?10 Re). We studied the ion dynamics associated with these DFs by comparing observed results with large scale kinetic(LSK) simulation results. The LSK simulation reproduced the sudden ion energy flux enhancement concurrent with the arrival of the DF at the satellite locations. We found that ions can be accelerated to more than 100 keV energy at the DF. These ions were initially non-adiabatically accelerated near magnetic reconnection site and then still non-adiabatically accelerated at the DF structure.     

Radial propagation of magnetospheric substorm-injected energetic electrons observed using a BD-IES instrument and Van Allen Probes

In cases where substorm injections can be observed simultaneously by multiple spacecraft,they can help elucidate the potential mechanisms of particle transport and energization,of great importance to understanding and modeling the magnetosphere.In this paper,using data returned from the BeiDa-IES(BD-IES) instrument onboard a satellite in an inclined(55°) geosynchronous orbit(IGSO),in combination with two geo-transfer orbiting(GTO) satellite Van Allen Probes(A and B),we analyze a substorm injection event that occurred on the 16 th of October 2015.During this substorm injection,the IGSO onboard BD-IES was outbound,while both Van Allen Probe satellites(A and B) were inbound,a configuration of multiple trajectories that provides a unique opportunity to simultaneously investigate both the inward and outward radial propagation of substorm injection.Indicated by AE/AL indices,this substorm was closely related to an IMF/solar wind discontinuity that showed a sharp change in IMF Bz direction to the north.The innermost signature of this substorm injection was detected by Van Allen Probes A and B at L-3.7,while the outermost signature was observed by the onboard BD-IES instrument at L~\0.These data indicate that the substorm had a global,rather than just local,effect.Finally,we suggest that electric fields carried by fast-mode compressional waves around the substorm injection are the most likely candidate mechanism for the electron injection signatures observed in the inner- and outermost inner magnetosphere.     

The effects of IMF and convection on thermal ion outflow in magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling

We study the influence of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and convection electric field on the rate and destination of polar wind and other thermal (low-energy) ion outflows, and its resulting effects on magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling, using single-particle trajectory simulations in conjunction with ion velocity distribution measurements on Akebono and IMF and ionospheric convection data. We find that the ions preferentially feed the dusk sector of the plasma sheet when the IMF is duskward (B_y>0), and are more evenly distributed in the plasma sheet when the IMF is dawnward. The flow of oxygen ions originating from the noon or dusk sectors of the polar cap has a higher probability of reaching the magnetosphere and beyond compared with that from the dawn or midnight sectors, due to the increased centrifugal acceleration associated with the larger magnetic field curvature near noon and the increased convection electric field in the dusk sector. The flow is enhanced and confined to lower L-shells at times of strongly southward IMF, compared with that at times of northward IMF. The outflow rate to both the plasma sheet and the magnetotail correlates strongly with the ion temperature. As a result, the IMF and the convection electric fields affect both the overall magnitude and the detailed distribution of mass transfer from the ionosphere to the magnetosphere in magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling.     

Magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling: selected topics

A broad outline is presented of what has been learned over the past decade concerning magnetosphere–ionosphere (M-I) coupling, dynamic interchanges of particles and electromagnetic energy between magnetically conjugate regions of near-Earth space. Although the concept of M-I coupling is useful for relating characteristics of distant source regions to ionospheric signatures, it is fundamentally incomplete, and must include connections to the interplanetary medium. With single satellite missions “we’ve gone about as far as we can go”. Ground-based magnetometer, optical and/or radar measurements are now routinely integrated with complementary data acquired by satellites to interpret electrodynamic signatures. Simultaneous measurements in the ionosphere and magnetosphere show that Alfvén waves at Pi 2 frequencies are important sources of M-I coupling near times of substorm onsets. The same measurements suggest that the braking of bursty bulk flow (BBF) structures is not important for triggering substorms. M-I coupling signatures of BBFs in the nightside ionosphere are compared with those of flux transfer and impulsive penetration events on the dayside. We then explore some implications of the hypothesis that BBF plasma is initially accelerated near the equatorial plane. Subsequent braking would result from electrodynamic coupling which redistributes energy and momentum to plasma in the high latitude parts of flux tubes and in the ionosphere.     

Poker flat radar observations of the magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling electrodynamics of the earthward penetrating plasma sheet following convection enhancements

The plasma sheet moves earthward (equatorward in the ionosphere) after enhancements in convection, and the electrodynamics of this response is strongly influenced by Region 2 magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling. We have used Poker Flat Advanced Modular Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) observations associated with two relatively abrupt southward turnings of the IMF to provide an initial evaluation of aspects of this response. The observations show that strong westward sub-auroral polarization streams (SAPS) flow regions moved equatorward as the plasma sheet electron precipitation (the diffuse aurora) penetrated equatorward following the IMF southward turnings. Consistent with our identification of these flows as SAPS, concurrent DMSP particle precipitation measurements show the equatorial boundary of ion precipitation equatorward of the electron precipitation boundary and that westward flows lie within the low-conductivity region between the two boundaries where the plasma sheet ion pressure gradient is expected to drive downward R2 currents. Evidence for these downward currents is seen in the DMSP magnetometer observations. Preliminary examination indicates that the SAPS response seen in the examples presented here may be common. However, detailed analysis will be required for many more events to reliably determine if this is the case. If so, it would imply that SAPS are frequently an important aspect of the inner magnetospheric electric field distribution, and that they are critical for understanding the response of the magnetosphere–ionosphere system to enhancements in convection, including understanding the earthward penetration of the plasma sheet. This earthward penetration is critical to geomagnetic disturbance phenomena such as the substorm growth phase and the formation of the stormtime ring current. Additionally, for one example, a prompt electric field response to the IMF southward turnings is seen within the inner plasma sheet.     

The INTERBALL-Tail ELECTRON experiment: initial results on the low-latitude boundary layer of the dawn magnetosphere

The Toulouse electron spectrometer flown on the Russian project INTERBALL-Tail performs electron measurements from 10 to 26 000 eV over a 4 solid angle in a satellite rotation period. The INTERBALL-Tail probe was launched on 3 August 1995 together with a subsatellite into a 65° inclination orbit with an apogee of about 30 R_E. The INTERBALL mission also includes a polar spacecraft launched in August 1996 for correlated studies of the outer magnetosphere and of the auroral regions. We present new observations concerning the low-latitude boundary layers (LLBL) of the magnetosphere obtained near the dawn magnetic meridian. LLBL are encountered at the interface between two plasma regimes, the magnetosheath and the dayside extension of the plasma sheet. Unexpectedly, the radial extent of the region where LLBL electrons can be sporadically detected as plasma clouds can reach up to 5 R_E inside the magnetopause. The LLBL core electrons have an average energy of the order of 100 eV and are systematically field-aligned and counterstreaming. As a trend, the temperature of the LLBL electrons increases with decreasing distance to Earth. Along the satellite orbit, the apparent time of occurrence of LLBL electrons can vary from about 5 to 20 min from one pass to another. An initial first comparison between electron-and magnetic-field measurements indicates that the LLBL clouds coincide with a strong increase in the magnetic field (by up to a factor of 2). The resulting strong magnetic field gradient can explain why the plasma-sheet electron flux in the keV range is strongly depressed in LLBL occurrence regions (up to a factor of 10). We also show that LLBL electron encounters are related to field-aligned current structures and that wide LLBL correspond to northward interplanetary magnetic field. Evidence for LLBL/plasma-sheet electron leakage into the magnetosheath during southward IMF is also presented.     

Energy and pitch-angle dispersions of LLBL/cusp ions seen at middle altitudes: predictions by the open magnetosphere model

Numerical simulations are presented of the ion distribution functions seen by middle-altitude spacecraft in the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL) and cusp regions when reconnection is, or has recently been, taking place at the equatorial magnetopause. From the evolution of the distribution function with time elapsed since the field line was opened, both the observed energy/observation-time and pitch-angle/energy dispersions are well reproduced. Distribution functions showing a mixture of magnetosheath and magnetospheric ions, often thought to be a signature of the LLBL, are found on newly opened field lines as a natural consequence of the magnetopause effects on the ions and their flight times. In addition, it is shown that the extent of the source region of the magnetosheath ions that are detected by a satellite is a function of the sensitivity of the ion instrument . If the instrument one-count level is high (and/or solar-wind densities are low), the cusp ion precipitation detected comes from a localised region of the mid-latitude magnetopause (around the magnetic cusp), even though the reconnection takes place at the equatorial magnetopause. However, if the instrument sensitivity is high enough, then ions injected from a large segment of the dayside magnetosphere (in the relevant hemisphere) will be detected in the cusp. Ion precipitation classed as LLBL is shown to arise from the low-latitude magnetopause, irrespective of the instrument sensitivity. Adoption of threshold flux definitions has the same effect as instrument sensitivity in artificially restricting the apparent source region.     

Observations of PC5 pulsations near field-aligned current regions

Examples of long period Pc5 magnetic field pulsations near field-aligned current (FAC) regions in the high-latitude magnetosphere, observed by INTERBALL-Auroral satellite during January 11, April 11 and June 28, 1997 are shown. Identification of corresponding magnetosphere regions and subregions is provided by electrons and protons in the energy-range of 0.01–100 keV measured simultaneously onboard the spacecraft. The examined Pc5 pulsations reveal a compressional character. A fairly good correlation is demonstrated between these ULF Pc5 waves and the consecutive injection of magnetosheath low energy protons. The ULF Pc5 wave occurrence is observed in both upward and downward FACs.     

磁场偶极化过程中磁尾离子加速:Ⅱ上行离子速度和能量的变化

根据采用动力学方程对亚暴期间磁尾磁场向偶极形弛豫过程中离子分布函数的模拟结果 ,研究了磁尾来自电离层的O+,H+和He+离子的速度及能量随时间的变化 .主要结果为 :（1 ）离子的加速及能量变化主要发生在磁场偶极化过程的中期 ,对应的地心距离位于- 1 2RE到 - 8RE 之间 ;（2 ）垂直于磁场方向上离子加速及能量变化较快 ,平行方向上较慢 ;（3）轻离子较重离子加速及能量变化快 ,磁场偶极化终结 ,3种离子的能量均可增加 2 0 0倍左右 ;（4）初始能量较高时 ,离子加速及能量变化较快 ,离子最终获得的能量较大 .理论计算的磁尾离子能量在磁场偶极化过程终了可达 1 0 2 keV的量级 ,这与观测结果一致 .     

High-Altitude CUSP: The Extremely Dynamic Region in Geospace

The high-altitude dayside cusps (both northern and southern) are extremely dynamic regions in geospace. Large diamagnetic cavities with significant fluctuations of the local magnetic field strength have been observed there. These cusp diamagnetic cavities are always there day after day and are as large as 6 R_E Associated with these cavities are charged particles with energies from 20 keV up to 10 MeV. The intensities of the cusp energetic ions have been observed to increase by as much as four orders of the magnitude when compared with regions adjacent to the cusp which includes the magnetosheath. Their seed populations are a mixture of ionospheric and solar wind particles. The measured energetic ion fluxes in the high-altitude cusp are higher than that in both the regions upstream and downstream from the bow shock. Turbulent electric fields with an amplitude of about 10 mV/m are also present in the cusp, and a cusp resonant acceleration mechanism is suggested. The observations indicate that the dayside high-altitude cusp is a key region for transferring the solar wind mass, momentum, and energy into the Earth’s magnetosphere.