Dynamics and local boundary properties of the dawn-side magnetopause under conditions observed by Equator-S

Magnetic field measurements, taken by the magnetometer experiment (MAM) on board the German Equator-S spacecraft, have been used to identify and categorise 131 crossings of the dawn-side magnetopause at low latitude, providing unusual, long duration coverage of the adjacent magnetospheric regions and near magnetosheath. The crossings occurred on 31 orbits, providing unbiased coverage over the full range of local magnetic shear from 06:00 to 10:40 LT. Apogee extent places the spacecraft in conditions associated with intermediate, rather than low, solar wind dynamic pressure, as it processes into the flank region. The apogee of the spacecraft remains close to the magnetopause for mean solar wind pressure. The occurrence of the magnetopause encounters are summarised and are found to compare well with predicted boundary location, where solar wind conditions are known. Most scale with solar wind pressure. Magnetopause shape is also documented and we find that the magnetopause orientation is consistently sunward of a model boundary and is not accounted for by IMF or local magnetic shear conditions. A number of well-established crossings, particularly those at high magnetic shear, or exhibiting unusually high-pressure states, were observed and have been analysed for their boundary characteristics and some details of their boundary and near magnetosheath properties are discussed. Of particular note are the occurrence of mirror-like signatures in the adjacent magnetosheath during a significant fraction of the encounters and a high number of multiple crossings over a long time period. The latter is facilitated by the spacecraft orbit which is designed to remain in the near magnetosheath for average solar wind pressure. For most encounters, a well-ordered, tangential (draped) magnetosheath field is observed and there is little evidence of large deviations in local boundary orientations. Two passes corresponding to close conjunctions of the Geotail spacecraft are analysed to confirm boundary orientation and motion. These further show evidence of an anti-sunward moving depression on the magnetopause (which is much smaller at Equator-S). The Tsyganenko model field is used routinely to assist in categorising the crossings and some comparison of models is carried out. We note that typically the T87 model fits the data better than the T89 model during conditions of low to intermediate K_p index near the magnetopause and also near the dawn-side tail current sheet in the dawnside region.     

Rayleigh-Taylor-Kelvin-Helmholtz combined instability at the magnetopause

The magnetopause separates the geomagnetic field from the interplanetary plasma and performs finite motions under the action of the solar wind pressure variable in time. Accelerations originating in this case result in that the necessary condition for the development of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability is formed at quite a definite motion phase. We can anticipate that the instability will develop during compression of the magnetosphere. It should be taken into account that the magnetopause is a potential tangential discontinuity. On the one hand, a plasma flow along the magnetopause results in a decrease in the Rayleigh-Taylor instability threshold. On the other hand, the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability threshold, typical of the tangential discontinuity, also decreases during the magnetosphere compression phase. Thus, if we speak about the magnetopause, it is natural and necessary to jointly consider both types of instability. Main information on the combined Rayleigh-Taylor-Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is presented, the dispersion equation determining the evolution of small perturbations is considered, and the possible geophysical applications to the theory (e.g., penetration of the solar plasma into the magnetosphere, excitation of global Pc5 oscillations) are indicated.     

高纬磁层顶位形统计分析

本文收集了1226个来自Cluster、Geotail、GOES、IMP8、Interball、LANL、Polar、TC1、THEMIS和Wind卫星磁层顶穿越事例,并主要利用时间推移使上游行星际磁场clock angle或等离子体变化特征与磁鞘中的相吻合方法为这些数据配对上来自ACE或Wind卫星5 min平均值太阳风数据.通过对这些数据以及网上公布的1482个Hawkeye卫星磁层顶穿越点数据分析研究,发现：（1）高纬磁层顶在极隙区存在内凹结构,其内凹范围比较大;（2）磁层顶内凹位置明显受地磁偶极倾角控制,最内凹点所对应的天顶角和地磁偶极倾角大致呈线性关系,这种关系在南北半球大致呈反对称;（3）磁层顶内凹深度、内凹范围以及内凹中心不变纬度基本不受地磁偶极倾角影响.     

Impact of solar wind tangential discontinuities on the Earth’s magnetosphere

The collision of a solar wind tangential discontinuity with the bow shock and magnetopause is considered in the scope of an MHD approximation. Using MHD methods of trial calculations and generalized shock polars, it has been indicated that a fast shock refracted into the magnetosheath originates when density increases across a tangential discontinuity and a fast rarefaction wave is generated when density decreases at this discontinuity. It has been indicated that a shock front shift under the action of collisions with a tangential discontinuity is experimentally observed and a fast bow shock can be transformed into a slow shock. Using a specific event as an example, it has been demonstrated that solar wind tangential discontinuity affects the geomagnetic field behavior.     

MHD model of magnetosheath flow: comparison with AMPTE/IRM observations on 24 October, 1985

We compare numerical results obtained from a steady-state MHD model of solar wind flow past the terrestrial magnetosphere with documented observations made by the AMPTE/IRM spacecraft on 24 October, 1985, during an inbound crossing of the magnetosheath. Observations indicate that steady conditions prevailed during this about 4 hour-long crossing. The magnetic shear at spacecraft entry into the magnetosphere was 15°. A steady density decrease and a concomitant magnetic field pile-up were observed during the 40 min interval just preceding the magnetopause crossing. In this plasma depletion layer (1) the plasma beta dropped to values below unity; (2) the flow speed tangential to the magnetopause was enhanced; and (3) the local magnetic field and velocity vectors became increasingly more orthogonal to each other as the magnetopause was approached (Phan et al., 1994). We model parameter variations along a spacecraft orbit approximating that of AMPTE/IRM, which was at slightly southern GSE latitudes and about 1.5 h postnoon Local Time. We model the magnetopause as a tangential discontinuity, as suggested by the observations, and take as input solar wind parameters those measured by AMPTE/IRM just prior to its bow shock crossing. We find that computed field and plasma profiles across the magnetosheath and plasma depletion layer match all observations closely. Theoretical predictions on stagnation line flow near this low-shear magnetopause are confirmed by the experimental findings. Our theory does not give, and the data on this pass do not show, any localized density enhancements in the inner magnetosheath region just outside the plasma depletion layer.     

Variations in plasma parameters and magnetic field upon magnetopause crossing at the main phase maximum of the magnetic storm of November 14, 2012

Measurements of the plasma parameters and magnetic field upon magnetopause crossings by the THEMIS-А satellite during the large magnetic storm of November 14, 2012, are analyzed. The main specific feature of this event is the magnetopause crossing at the time of the magnetic-storm maximum. An imbalance of total pressure on the magnetopause reaching up to ~40% has been observed. An abrupt turn of the magnetic field immediately on the magnetopause is recorded. Inside the magnetosphere, plasma motions have been observed, both along the magnetopause and inward, at velocities of ~100–300 km/s. Variations in geomagnetic parameters are analyzed before and after the crossing. It is shown that specific features of the observed crossing may be associated with a sharp change in the magnetospheric current systems during the magnetospheric substorm.     

Structure of the low-latitude magnetopause: MAGION-4 observations

The aims of this paper are (1) briefly to describe the plasma devices onboard the MAGION-4 satellite, launched on 3 August 1995, of the INTER-BALL project, and (2) to discuss first observations made near the magnetopause region. During the presented boundary crossings the MAGION–4 observed quasi-periodic pulses of magnetosheath-like plasma in a region of low plasma density. This region is located just earthwards of the magnetopause and is populated by a plasma which, except for the density, has the same parameters as in the magnetosheath. Deeper in the magnetosphere, the encounter of a layer of hot electrons and high-energy ions was interpreted as low-latitude boundary layer.     

Spontaneous tangential discontinuities and the optical analogy for static magnetic fields. VI. Topology of current sheets

Abstract

The electric surface current in a tangential discontinuity in a force-free magnetic field is conserved. The direction of the current is halfway between the direction of the continuous fields on either side of the surface of discontinuity. Hence the current sheets, i.e. the surface of tangential discontinuity, have a topology that is distinct from the lines of force of the field. The precise nature of the topology of the current sheet depends upon the form of the winding patterns in the field. Hence, invariant winding patterns and random winding patterns are treated separately. Current sheets may have edges, at the junction of two or more topological separatrices. The current lines may, in special cases, be closed on themselves. The lines of force that lie on either side of a current sheet somewhere pass off the sheet across a junction onto another sheet. In most cases the current sheets extending along a field make an irregular honeycomb.

The honeycomb pattern varies along the field if the winding pattern of the field varies. The surface current density in a tangential discontinuity declines inversely, or faster, with distance from its region of origin. The edges of weaker tangential discontinuities (originating in more distant regions) are bounded by the stronger tangential discontinuities (of nearby origin).

An examination of the force-free field equations in a small neighborhood of the line of intersection of two tangential discontinuities shows that the lines of force twist around to cross the line of intersection at right angles. If the angle between the tangential discontinuities exceeds π/2, there is also the possibilitity that the lines twist around so as to come tangent to the line of intersection as they cross it.     

Small scale observation of magnetopause motion: preliminary results of the INTERBALL project

Two satellites of the INTERBALL project were launched on 3 August 1995. The main goals of the present paper are (1) to give a brief information about the VDP plasma device onboard the INTERBALL-1 satellite, (2) to present the Faradays cup data taken in different magneto spheric regions and (3) to expose first results of the two satellite measurements of the magnetopause motion. The presented data illustrate magnetopause crossings as seen by two satellites when separated by about 1000 km. This separation combined with the Faradays cup time resolution allows to estimate the velocity of the magnetopause and to reconstruct a possible structure of the boundary. Simultaneous measurement of the magnetic field supports the interpretation of the observed ion fluxes as a signature of the wavy motion of the boundary.     

Analytical model of the near-Earth magnetopause according to the data of the Prognoz and Interball satellite data

Based on the magnetopause observations near the Earth by the Prognoz/Interball satellites in 1972–2000, the empirical model of this boundary has been proposed, and the magnetopause behavior at different parameters of the oncoming solar wind has been studied. For the first time, it has been detected that the Earth’s magnetopause is compressed by ∼5% in the direction perpendicular to the plane including the vectors of the solar wind velocity and IMF. At the same time, any dependence of the subsolar magnetopause position on the IMF B _z component has not been revealed in the Progrnoz/Interball data. The proposed magnetopause model can be used to model the position and shape of the near-Earth bow shock.     

磁层顶压缩事件的磁场分析

向日面磁层顶在平静太阳风条件下,处于10RE（RE为地球半径）左右．但在异常的太阳风条件下,即南向行星际磁场很强和（或）太阳风的动压很大时,会被压缩,甚至到达同步轨道附近．集中分析2001年4月11日的磁暴事件,研究当磁层顶发生强烈压缩以后。在地球空间和地面上产生的磁场影响．磁层顶位形选取Shue（1998）模型计算．当把计算结果与GOESl0卫星的观测数据对比时发现：磁层顶在强的太阳风条件下的确会被压缩到同步轨道以内．Shue（1998）模型的预测基本正确,通常的漏报可能是由于预报的位置误差所致．实际磁层顶电流片的位置和强度与我们假设的理想磁层顶间断面计算结果基本吻合．在分析大磁暴过程时,磁层顶压缩使磁层顶电流对于中低纬度地磁场扰动有突出的贡献,在2001年4月事件中,这个贡献可以大于50nT,占主相的1／6左右．这一贡献可以使Dst指数产生相应的误差．     

Model magnetosphere of Mercury

The paper presents a three-dimensional quantitative model of Mercury's magnetosphere based on the entire combined set of observational data obtained from the first and third encounters of Mariner 10 with Mercury. The model assumes that the surface magnetic field of the planet Mercury consists of a dipole, a quadrupole and an octupole. The dipole moment of Mercury is 2.4 × 10²² G cm³, tilted 2.3° from the normal to the planetary orbital plane and having the same directional sense as that of the Earth. The intensity of the quadrupole moment is approximately 45% of the dipole, and that of the octupole moment 29% of the dipole. The model meets four critical tests: (1) it produces the smallest residuals among all existing models, (2) it can reproduce the crossing of a tail current sheet by Mariner 10, (3) all planetary field lines are confined inside the model magnetosphere, and (4) the size of the model magnetosphere agrees well with the magnetopause crossings directly observed from Mariner 10. The model can also be used to explain two observational features: (1) the plasma characteristics observed in different regions of the magnetosphere, and (2) the regions of quiet and disturbed signatures directly observed from Mariner 10.     

Plane discontinuities in collisionless plasmas: An analysis as applied to the magnetopause

Types of plane discontinuities possible in collisionless kinetics—thin current sheets with a nonzero normal component of the magnetic field—are considered. In a general case the electromagnetic field energy is transformed at such a discontinuity to the energy of ion flows. In addition to the known MHD discontinuities, the discontinuities that exist in the presence of pairs of interpenetrating flows on both sides of a discontinuity are studied. The application of the theory to an analysis of observations on the magnetopause has been considered.     

Cluster Observations of the CUSP: Magnetic Structure and Dynamics

This paper reviews Cluster observations of the high altitude and exterior (outer) cusp, and adjacent regions in terms of new multi-spacecraft analysis and the geometry of the surrounding boundary layers. Several crossings are described in terms of the regions sampled, the boundary dynamics and the electric current signatures observed. A companion paper in this issue focuses on the detailed plasma distributions of the boundary layers. The polar Cluster orbits take the four spacecraft in a changing formation out of the magnetosphere, on the northern leg, and into the magnetosphere, on the southern leg, of the orbits. During February to April the orbits are centred on a few hours of local noon and, on the northern leg, generally pass consecutively through the northern lobe and the cusp at mid- to high-altitudes. Depending upon conditions, the spacecraft often sample the outer cusp region, near the magnetopause, and the dayside and tail boundary layer regions adjacent to the central cusp. On the southern, inbound leg the sequence is reversed. Cluster has therefore sampled the boundaries around the high altitude cusp and nearby magnetopause under a variety of conditions. The instruments onboard provide unprecedented resolution of the plasma and field properties of the region, and the simultaneous, four-spacecraft coverage achieved by Cluster is unique. The spacecraft array forms a nearly regular tetrahedral configuration in the cusp and already the mission has covered this region on multiple spatial scales (100–2000 km). This multi-spacecraft coverage allows spatial and temporal features to be distinguished to a large degree and, in particular, enables the macroscopic properties of the boundary layers to be identified: the orientation, motion and thickness, and the associated current layers. We review the results of this analysis for a number of selected crossings from both the North and South cusp regions. Several key results have been found or have confirmed earlier work: (1) evidence for magnetically defined boundaries at both the outer cusp/magnetosheath interface and the␣inner cusp/lobe or cusp/dayside magnetosphere interface, as would support the existence of a distinct exterior cusp region; (2) evidence for an associated indentation region on the magnetopause across the outer cusp; (3) well defined plasma boundaries at the edges of the mid- to high-altitude cusp “throat”, and well defined magnetic boundaries in the high-altitude “throat”, consistent with a funnel geometry; (4) direct control of the cusp position, and its extent, by the IMF, both in the dawn/dusk and North/South directions. The exterior cusp, in particular, is highly dependent on the external conditions prevailing. The magnetic field geometry is sometimes complex, but often the current layer has a well defined thickness ranging from a few hundred (for the inner cusp boundaries) to 1000 km. Motion of the inner cusp boundaries can occur at speeds up to 60 km/s, but typically 10–20 km/s. These speeds appear to represent global motion of the cusp in some cases, but also could arise from expansion or narrowing in others. The mid- to high-altitude cusp usually contains enhanced ULF wave activity, and the exterior cusp usually is associated with a substantial reduction in field magnitude.     

Determining the amplitude and timing of streamflow discontinuities: A cross wavelet analysis approach

Records of natural processes, such as gradual streamflow fluctuations, are commonly interrupted by long or short disruptions from natural non‐linear responses to gradual changes, such as from river‐ice break‐ups, freezing as a result of annual solar cycles, or human causes, such as flow blocking by dams and other means, instrument calibrations and failure. The resulting abrupt or gradual shifts and missing data are considered to be discontinuities with respect to the normal signal. They differ from random noise as they do not follow any fixed distribution over time and, hence, cannot be eliminated by filtering. The multi‐scale resolution features of continuous wavelet analysis and cross wavelet analysis were used in this study to determine the amplitude and timing of such streamflow discontinuities for specific wavebands. The cross wavelet based method was able to detect the strength and timing of abrupt shifts to new streamflow levels, gaps in data records longer than the waveband of interest and a sinusoidal discontinuity curve following an underlying modeled annual signal at ±0.5 year uncertainty. Parameter testing of the time‐frequency resolution demonstrated that high temporal resolution using narrow analysis windows is favorable to high‐frequency resolution for detection of waveband‐related discontinuities. Discontinuity analysis on observed daily streamflow records from Canadian rivers showed the following: (i) that there is at least one discontinuity/year related to the annual spring flood in each record studied, and (ii) neighboring streamflows have similar discontinuity patterns. In addition, the discontinuity density of the Canadian streamflows studied in this paper exhibit 11‐year cycles that are inversely correlated with the solar intensity cycle. This suggests that more streamflow discontinuities, such as through fast freezing, snowmelt, or ice break‐up, may occur during years with slightly lowered solar insolation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Possible configurations of the magnetic field in the outer magnetosphere during geomagnetic polarity reversals

Possible configurations of the magnetic field in the outer magnetosphere during geomagnetic polarity reversals are investigated by considering the idealized problem of a magnetic multipole of order m and degree n located at the centre of a spherical cavity surrounded by a boundless perfect diamagnetic medium. In this illustrative idealization, the fixed spherical (magnetopause) boundary layer behaves as a perfectly conducting surface that shields the external diamagnetic medium from the compressed multipole magnetic field, which is therefore confined within the spherical cavity. For a general magnetic multipole of degree n, the non-radial components of magnetic induction just inside the magnetopause are increased by the factor 1 + [(n + 1)/n] relative to their corresponding values in the absence of the perfectly conducting spherical magnetopause. An exact equation is derived for the magnetic field lines of an individual zonal (m = 0), or axisymmetric, magnetic multipole of arbitrary degree n located at the centre of the magnetospheric cavity. For such a zonal magnetic multipole, there are always two neutral points and n – 1 neutral rings on the spherical magnetopause surface. The two neutral points are located at the poles of the spherical magnetopause. If n is even, one of the neutral rings is coincident with the equator; otherwise, the neutral rings are located symmetrically with respect to the equator. The actual existence of idealized higher-degree (n > 1) axisymmetric magnetospheres would necessarily imply multiple (n + 1) magnetospheric cusps and multiple (n) ring currents. Exact equations are also derived for the magnetic field lines of an individual non-axisymmetric magnetic multipole, confined by a perfectly conducting spherical magnetopause, in two special cases; namely, a symmetric sectorial multipole (m = n) and an antisymmetric sectorial multipole (m = n – 1). For both these non-axisymmetric magnetic multipoles, there exists on the spherical magnetopause surface a set of neutral points linked by a network of magnetic field lines. Novel magnetospheric processes are likely to arise from the existence of magnetic neutral lines that extend from the magnetopause to the surface of the Earth. Finally, magnetic field lines that are confined to, or perpendicular to, either special meridional planes or the equatorial plane, when the multipole is in free space, continue to be confined to, or perpendicular to, these same planes when the perfectly conducting magnetopause is present.Also Honorary Research Associate, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX, UK and Visiting Reader in Physics. University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK     

涡旋诱发重联模型（Ⅱ）——通量传输事件理论和模拟

本文应用涡旋诱发重联理论研究了地球磁层顶区发生的瞬时局部重联现象.对向阳面磁顶区通量传输事件(FTEs)的形成、结构和运动进行了理论和模拟研究,并与卫星观测结果作了比较.结果表明,涡旋诱发重联可能是产生FTEs的重要机制.利用这一理论模型能解释FTEs的一些主要观测现象.此外,对背阳面磁顶区的局部重联从理论上作了分析,指出在背阳面磁顶区可能存在类似于向阳面磁顶区的通量传输事件.     

Density fluctuations measured by ISEE 1–2 in the Earth’s magnetosheath and the resultant scattering of radio waves

Radio waves undergo angular scattering when they propagate through a plasma with fluctuating density. We show how the angular scattering coefficient can be calculated as a function of the frequency spectrum of the local density fluctuations. In the Earths magnetosheath, the ISEE 1–2 propagation experiment measured the spectral power of the density fluctuations for periods in the range 300 to 1 s, which produce most of the scattering. The resultant local angular scattering coefficient can then be calculated for the first time with realistic density fluctuation spectra, which are neither Gaussian nor power laws. We present results on the variation of the local angular scattering coefficient during two crossings of the dayside magnetosheath, from the quasi-perpendicular bow shock to the magnetopause. For a radio wave at twice the local electron plasma frequency, the scattering coefficient in the major part of the magnetosheath is b(2f_p) 0.5–4 × 10^–9 rad²/m. The scattering coefficient is about ten times stronger in a thin sheet (0.1 to IR_E) just downstream of the shock ramp, and close to the magnetopause.