Magnetic Pulsations: Their Sources and Relation to Solar Wind and Geomagnetic Activity

Ultra low frequency (ULF) waves incident on the Earth are produced by processes in the magnetosphere and solar wind. These processes produce a wide variety of ULF hydromagnetic wave types that are classified on the ground as either Pi or Pc pulsations (irregular or continuous). Waves of different frequencies and polarizations originate in different regions of the magnetosphere. The location of the projections of these regions onto the Earth depends on the solar wind dynamic pressure and magnetic field. The occurrence of various waves also depends on conditions in the solar wind and in the magnetosphere. Changes in orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field or an increase in solar wind velocity can have dramatic effects on the type of waves seen at a particular location on the Earth. Similarly, the occurrence of a magnetospheric substorm or magnetic storm will affect which waves are seen. The magnetosphere is a resonant cavity and waveguide for waves that either originate within or propagate through the system. These cavities respond to broadband sources by resonating at discrete frequencies. These cavity modes couple to field line resonances that drive currents in the ionosphere. These currents reradiate the energy as electromagnetic waves that propagate to the ground. Because these ionospheric currents are localized in latitude there are very rapid variations in wave phase at the Earth’s surface. Thus it is almost never correct to assume that plane ULF waves are incident on the Earth from outer space. The properties of ULF waves seen at the ground contain information about the processes that generate them and the regions through which they have propagated. The properties also depend on the conductivity of the Earth underneath the observer. Information about the state of the solar wind and the magnetosphere distributed by the NOAA Space Disturbance Forecast Center can be used to help predict when certain types and frequencies of waves will be observed. The study of ULF waves is a very active field of space research and much has yet to be learned about the processes that generate these waves.     

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.     

The initial temporal evolution of a feedback dynamo for Mercury

Various possibilities are currently under discussion to explain the observed weakness of the intrinsic magnetic field of planet Mercury. One of the possible dynamo scenarios is a dynamo with feedback from the magnetosphere. Due to its weak magnetic field, Mercury exhibits a small magnetosphere whose subsolar magnetopause distance is only about 1.7 Hermean radii. We consider the magnetic field due to magnetopause currents in the dynamo region. Since the external field of magnetospheric origin is antiparallel to the dipole component of the dynamo field, a negative feedback results. For an αΩ-dynamo, two stationary solutions of such a feedback dynamo emerge: one with a weak and the other with a strong magnetic field. The question, however, is how these solutions can be realized. To address this problem, we discuss various scenarios for a simple dynamo model and the conditions under which a steady weak magnetic field can be reached. We find that the feedback mechanism quenches the overall field to a low value of about 100–150 nT if the dynamo is not driven too strongly.     

Magnetic turbulence in the cusp region: 3D spectra and vortex cascades

Cluster satellite measurements that were carried out in the region of the altitudinal cusp in the Earth’s magnetosphere and adjacent regions were processed to yield the dynamic pattern of the 3D spectra of magnetic field oscillations in the space of wave vectors, with wave numbers ranging from 0.002 to 0.5 rad/km. The anisotropic properties of space spectra that are functions of the mean plasma parameters are studied. The role of the ion cyclotron resonances and the resonance related to the ion inertial length is shown. The vortex structures detected in the cusp and adjacent regions are described. The issue concerning in what directions turbulent energy is primarily transferred in the physical space.     

地磁捕获区及某些空間相关現象的非軸对称形状

理论研究与高空探测结果表明,地磁层的边界在太阳风的作用下将发生形变,形成一个水滴式的界面。本文讨论了带电粒子在这样一个磁层內的运动,以及它与某些非轴对称的空间物理相关现象的关系。由于带电粒子在形变后的地磁場內的运动是比较复杂的,因此我们只讨论这些粒子的迴旋中心在整个漂移运动中所在的卢等于常数的漂移曲面。计算结果表明,磁层內捕获区的立体图形相对于磁轴来说是非轴对称的,向阳面此背阳面大,这个结果与人造卫星的採测结果以及极光日变化的资料是很接近的。与此同时,我们还统计了1957与1958年高纬度区31个地磁台在平靜时每天的平均日变化。所有上述结果表明,在磁层內的上述相关现象都是非轴对称的。     

2001年1月26日高纬磁层顶通量管事件的观测研究

2001年1月26日11:10～11:40UT, ClusterⅡ卫星簇位于午后高纬磁鞘边界层和磁鞘区,此 时行星际磁场Bz为南向. 本文对在此期间观测到的多次磁通量管事件作了详细的研究 ,获得一系列的新发现：（1）高纬磁鞘边界层磁通量管的出现具有准周期性,周期约为78s ,比目前已知的磁层顶向阳面FTE的平均周期（8～11min）小得多. （2）这些通量管都具有 强的核心磁场;其主轴多数在磁场最小变化方向,少数在中间变化方向,有些无法用PAA判 定其方向（需要用电流管PAA确定）,这与卫星穿越通量管的相对路径有关. （3）每个事件 都存在很好的HT参考系,在HT参考系中这些通量管是准定常态结构;所有通量管都沿磁层顶 表面运动,速度方向大体相同,都来自晨侧下方. 通量管的径向尺度为1～2RE, 与通 常的FTE通量管相当. （4）起源于磁层的强能离子大体上沿着管轴方向由磁层向磁鞘运动; 起源于太阳风的热等离子体沿管轴向磁层传输. 通量管为太阳风等离子体向磁层输运和磁层 粒子向行星际空间逃逸提供了通道. （5）每个通量管事件都伴随有晨昏电场的反转,该电 场为对流电场.     

Planetary distribution of geomagnetic pulsations during a geomagnetic storm at solar minimum

We investigate the features of the planetary distribution of wave phenomena (geomagnetic pulsations) in the Earth’s magnetic shell (the magnetosphere) during a strong geomagnetic storm on December 14–15, 2006, which is untypical of the minimum phase of solar activity. The storm was caused by the approach of the interplanetary magnetic cloud towards the Earth’s magnetosphere. The study is based on the analysis of 1-min data of global digital geomagnetic observations at a few latitudinal profiles of the global network of ground-based magnetic stations. The analysis is focused on the Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations, whose frequencies fall in the band of 1.5–7 mHz (T ～ 2–10 min), on the fluctuations in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and in the solar wind density in this frequency band. It is shown that during the initial phase of the storm with positive IMF Bz, most intense geomagnetic pulsations were recorded in the dayside polar regions. It was supposed that these pulsations could probably be caused by the injection of the fluctuating streams of solar wind into the Earth’s ionosphere in the dayside polar cusp region. The fluctuations arising in the ionospheric electric currents due to this process are recorded as the geomagnetic pulsations by the ground-based magnetometers. Under negative IMF Bz, substorms develop in the nightside magnetosphere, and the enhancement of geomagnetic pulsations was observed in this latitudinal region on the Earth’s surface. The generation of these pulsations is probably caused by the fluctuations in the field-aligned magnetospheric electric currents flowing along the geomagnetic field lines from the substorm source region. These geomagnetic pulsations are not related to the fluctuations in the interplanetary medium. During the main phase of the magnetic storm, when fluctuations in the interplanetary medium are almost absent, the most intense geomagnetic pulsations were observed in the dawn sector in the region corresponding to the closed magnetosphere. The generation of these pulsations is likely to be associated with the resonance of the geomagnetic field lines. Thus, it is shown that the Pc5 pulsations observed on the ground during the magnetic storm have a different origin and a different planetary distribution.     

中国空间风暴探测计划和国际与日共存计划

本文首先概要地介绍了国际与日共存（International Living With a Star, ILWS）计划的目的、组织机构及ILWS第一次和第二次工作会议的情况.中国国家航天局于2003年4月正式参加了ILWS计划,并参加第一次和第二次工作会议.中方代表在会上提出了中国参加ILWS的建议,报告了中国新提出的“空间风暴探测计划”.现双星计划已被列为2006年以前的ILWS项目,“空间风暴探测计划”已被列为ILWS第一阶段的重要项目.本文概要地介绍了空间风暴探测计划项目的需求,主要目标和研究内容,有效载荷、轨道方案以及空间风暴计划的进度计划等.     

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.     

地球磁层中哨声导管的物理结构

本文在理论上探讨了地球磁层中哨声导管的物理特征。利用两种能够引导甚低频电磁波的导管模式,求得哨声导管中磁场和电流的分布。当磁场偏离势场或无力场时,将会产生场向电流,该电流与导管的强度和稳定维持密切相关。根据这些结果,我们认为高纬磁层中观测到的较强的场向电流,是高纬地区地面台站频繁接收到哨声及其回波的一个重要原因。     

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.     

The centenary of solar-terrestrial physics

The years 1900–1902 saw important scientific landmarks, namely Marconi's transatlantic radio experiment and theoretical ideas of Lodge and Fitzgerald about what are now known as the solar wind, magnetosphere and ionosphere. These advances built on previous ideas put forward by several European scientists. Taking the discovery of the electron in 1897 as a prerequisite for real physical understanding of solar-terrestrial phenomena, the present time is the centenary of solar-terrestrial physics. Concentrating on the years around 1900, this paper also selects landmarks from 1600 onwards that led up to that time, and some from subsequent decades.     

Solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and chaotic dynamics

Electromagnetic fields and currents connect various regions of the earth's near space environment extending upto the magnetopause. Realization of this fact has lead to the concept of Global Electric Circuit (GEC) to describe the electromagnetic environment of the earth's atmosphere. Solar wind - magnetosphere - ionosphere coupling forms a vital component of GEC. Magnetospheric substorms represent a global interaction between the solar wind, the magetosphere, and the ionosphere. This article gives an overview of the solar wind - magnetosphere- ionosphere coupling processes with emphasis on the nonlinear particle dynamics in the magnetotail. Those aspects of the substorm processes which involve the chaotic dynamics are highlighted. Various methods based on nonlinear particle dynamics, linear prediction filtering techniques, phase space reconstruction techniques, and dynamical anologue models of geomagnetic activity are reviewed. It is shown that the solar wind- magnetosphere - ionosphere system behaves as a strongly coupled nonlinear dynamical system which could be driven from regular to chaotic behavior with low dimensionality when the solar wind forcing is strong enough.     

Interplanetary Shocks, Magnetopause Boundary Layers and Dayside Auroras: The Importance of a Very Small Magnetospheric Region

Dayside near-polar auroral brightenings occur when interplanetary shocks impinge upon the Earth's magnetosphere. The aurora first brightens near local noon and then propagates toward dawn and dusk along the auroral oval. The propagation speed of this wave of auroral light is 10 km s^-1 in the ionosphere. This speed is comparable to the solar wind speed along the outer magnetosphere. The fundamental shock-magnetospheric interaction occurs at the magnetopause and its boundary layer. Several physical mechanisms transferring energy from the solar wind directly to the magnetosphere and from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere are reviewed. The same physical processes can occur at other solar system magnetospheres. We use the Haerendel (1994) formulation to estimate the acceleration of energetic electrons to 50 keV in the Jovian magnetosphere/ionosphere. Auroral brightenings by shocks could be used as technique to discover planets in other stellar systems.     

Modeling the Earth's magnetosphere under the influence of solar wind with due northward IMF by the AMR-CESE-MHD model

We present a newly developed global magnetohydrodynamic(MHD) model to study the responses of the Earth's magnetosphere to the solar wind. The model is established by using the space-time conservation element and solution element(CESE) method in general curvilinear coordinates on a six-component grid system. As a preliminary study, this paper is to present the model's numerical results of the quasi-steady state and the dynamics of the Earth's magnetosphere under steady solar wind flow with due northward interplanetary magnetic field(IMF). The model results are found to be in good agreement with those published by other numerical magnetospheric models.     

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.     

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.     

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.