Reflection on the first five years of South Africa’s Acoustic Tracking Array Platform (ATAP): status,challenges and opportunities

The Acoustic Tracking Array Platform (ATAP) is a marine science programme that monitors the movements and migrations of inshore marine animals along the South African coastline. Acoustically tagged animals are monitored by an expanded network of approximately 100 automated data-logging acoustic receivers moored at strategic node sites, from Cape Point in the west to the South Africa–Mozambique border in the east. During five years since its inception, in 2011, the ATAP has achieved outstanding progress in terms of the numbers of animals and the variety of species tagged. To date, the ATAP has yielded over 2.6 million detections from more than 700 acoustically tagged animals, representing 27 different species from 20 families, including the African penguin Spheniscus demersus, fishery-at-risk species (e.g. dusky kob Argyrosomus japonicus) and iconic elasmobranchs (e.g. white shark Carcharodon carcharias). Following a period of considerable equipment loss in 2014, refinement of the receiver network was required and the deeper receivers at each site were decommissioned without influencing the integrity of the nationwide array. The platform, managed by the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, ultimately represents a low-cost method of collecting long-term data that currently benefits approximately 25 researchers from 14 organisations. Case studies are presented to expose the opportunities provided by the ATAP, which will undoubtedly yield new discoveries and provide a greater understanding of the movement patterns and migrations of a wide variety of inshore marine and estuary-associated species.     

Electric and magnetic drift of non-adiabatic ions in the Earth's geomagnetic tail current sheet

It has been shown recently that non-adiabatic particles in the Earth's magnetotail drift across the tail roughly as predicted for adiabatic particles with 90° pitch angles. In this paper we show that this result implies the existence of an approximate invariant of the motion. Adding the effect of convection associated electric fields, we can then obtain the approximate bounce averaged motion of non-adiabatic particles in the magnetotail. Thus the particle motion and energization due to combined magnetic and electric drifts in the magnetotail are easily predicted.     

Effect of the IMF B y component on the ionospheric flow overhead at EISCAT: observations and theory

We have analysed a database of 300 h of tristatic ionospheric velocity measurements obtained overhead at Tromsø (66.3° magnetic latitude) by the EISCAT UHF radar system, for the presence of flow effects associated with the y-component of the IMF. Since it is already known that the flow depends upon IMF B_z, a least-squares multivariate analysis has been used to determine the flow dependence on both IMF B_y and B_z simultaneously. It is found that significant flow variations with IMF B_y occur, predominantly in the midnight sector (2100/0300 MLT), but also pre-dusk (1600/1700 MLT), which are directed eastward for IMF B_y positive and westward for IMF B_y negative. The flows are of magnitude 20/30 m s^–1 nT^–1 in the midnight sector, and smaller, 10/20 m s^–1 nT^–1, pre-dusk, and are thus associated with significant changes of flow of order a few hundred m s^–1 over the usual range of IMF B_y of about ±5 nT. At other local times the IMF B_y-related perturbation flows are much smaller, less than 5 m s^–1 nT^–1, and consistent with zero within the uncertainty estimates. We have investigated whether these IMF B_y-dependent flows can be accounted for quantitatively by a theoretical model in which the equatorial flow in the inner magnetosphere is independent of IMF B_y, but where distortions of the magnetospheric magnetic field associated with a penetrating component of the IMF B_y field changes the mapping of the field to the ionosphere, and hence the ionospheric flow. We find that the principal flow perturbation produced by this effect is an east-west flow whose sense is determined by the north-south component of the unperturbed flow. Perturbations in the north-south flow are typically smaller by more than an order of magnitude, and generally negligible in terms of observations. Using equatorial flows which are determined from EISCAT data for zero IMF B_y, to which the corotation flow has been added, the theory predicts the presence of zonal perturbation flows which are generally directed eastward in the Northern Hemisphere for IMF B_y positive and westward for IMF B_y negative at all local times. However, although the day and night effects are therefore similar in principle, the model perturbation flows are much larger on the nightside than on the dayside, as observed, due to the day-night asymmetry in the unperturbed magnetospheric magnetic field. Overall, the model results are found to account well for the observed IMF B_y-related flow perturbations in the midnight sector, in terms of the sense and direction of the flow, the local time of their occurrence, as well as the magnitude of the flows (provided the magnetic model employed is not too distorted from dipolar form). At other local times the model predicts much smaller IMF B_y-related flow perturbations, and thus does not account for the effects observed in the pre-dusk sector.     

150 years of magnetic observatories: Recent researches on world data

A joint Discussion Meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Irish Academy, held on January 11th, 1991, commemorated the establishment of some early magnetic observatories, discussed recent research using global geomagnetic data and described the present status of magnetic observatories in the United Kingdom. The observatory and instruments at the Dublin magnetic observatory; the origins of the Greenwich magnetic observatory, and why it eventually had to be resited; and the history of the Munich magnetic observatory formed the historical part of the proceedings. Current research topics discussed were the geomagnetic secular variation and deep Earth structure and dynamics; fluid flow patterns near the top of the core; the origin of the annual variation of the geomagnetic field; results of an analysis of monthly means from some British observatories; a new theory of the geomagnetic daily variation; and the interactions between ionospheric science and geomagnetism. The present-day observatory scene was described in terms of the information that can be derived from the almost 40 year series of data from Hartland magnetic observatory; of the methods used to process data from the three UK magnetic observatories, which nowadays are operated automatically and remotely; and (a look into the future) of a new project, INTERMAGNET, which aims to make available, in near real time, data from the world-wide network of magnetic observatories.     

Observation of an IMF sector effect in the Y magnetic field component at geostationary orbit

One year of magnetic field data from the geostationary spacecraft ATS 6 have been analysed for effects associated with the equatorial plane components of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). It is shown that perturbation fields in the Y (dawn to dusk) direction appear in association with the Y component of the IMF, in agreement with previous theoretical suggestions. On average a fraction 0.28 ± 0.02 of the IMF Y field appears at geostationary orbit, such that the average ATS 6 B_y field is 1.9 ± 0.4 nT larger when IMF B_y is positive than when it is negative. The perturbation field magnitudes are also found to depend strongly on local time, however, with largest effects appearing in the midnight and dawn quadrants, where the average perturbation fields are nearly half the simultaneous IMF B_v. field. At noon this fraction drops to one fifth, and no average effect occurs in the dusk quadrant. Both the daily mean perturbation fields and the diurnal modulation are also found to depend upon the level of magnetic disturbance as measured by K_P, or equivalently upon IMF B_z, and upon season of the year. Overall stronger daily mean perturbation fields occur when K_P is low or when IMF B_z is positive, than when K_P is high or when IMF B_z is negative. This effect is not linear, however, and there is also a trend in the data towards increasing perturbation fields with IMF B_z negative and decreasing. On dividing the data according to season, increasingly strong daily mean effects are found in the order winter, summer and equinox for both quiet and disturbed magnetospheres. Diurnal modulations of the perturbation field magnitudes for low K_P (IMF B_z > 0) take the form of large amplitude quasi-sinusoidal variations about mean values which are very marked in the equinox data, are present to a lesser degree during summer and are absent during winter conditions. When K_p is high (IMF B_z < 0) significant deviations from mean perturbation field values occur generally only during nightside hours and little seasonal dependence is evident. Finally, it is shown that the highest correlation between the IMF data and the ATS 6 perturbation fields occurs with zero time delay between the two data sets, showing that a prompt response to IMF conditions occurs at geostationary orbit within the 1 h time resolution available in this study. Although many details of the above ATS 6 response remain to be understood, these results overall demonstrate in a very direct manner the magnetically “open” nature of the Earth's magnetosphere.     

Dispersion relations in the electrostatic approximation for waves in a magnetic neutral sheet

Dispersion equations in the electrostatic approximation are derived for waves propagating near the centre of a magnetic neutral sheet system. The unperturbed equilibrium is based on the Alfvén-Cowley neutral sheet model, in which the sheet current is carried by accelerated non-adiabatic electrons oscillating about the field reversal, and moving through a cold neutralizing ion background. Detailed account is taken of the non-adiabatic nature of the electron motion. It is also recognized that the zeroth order electron distribution may differ significantly from a convecting isotropic Maxwellian. A companion paper presents a detailed numerical study of the dispersion relations derived here.     

On the Abundance of Holmium in the sun

The abundance of holmium (Z=67) in the Sun remains uncertain. The photospheric abundance, based on lines of Hoii, has been reported as + 0.26±0.16 (on the usual scale where log(H) = 12.00), while the meteoritic value is + 0.51±0.02. Cowan-code calculations have been undertaken to improve the partition function for this ion by including important contributions from unobserved levels arising from the (4f ¹¹6p+4f ¹⁰(5d+6s)²) group. Based on 6994 computed energy levels, the partition function for Hoii is 67.41 for a temperature of 6000 K. This is 1.5 times larger than the value derived from the 49 published levels. The new partition function alone leads to an increase in the solar abundance of Ho to log (Ho) =+ 0.43. This is within 0.08 dex of the meteoritic abundance. Support for this result has been obtained through LTE spectrum synthesis calculations of a previously unidentified weak line at 3416.38. Attributing the feature to Hoii, the observations may be fitted with log (Ho) =+ 0.53. This calculation assumes log (gf)=0.25 and is uncertain by at least 0.1 dex.     

Evidence for the heating of thermal electrons at the magnetopause boundary layer

The suprathermal plasma analyser on the geostationary satellite Geos-2 can identify magnetospheric, boundary layer and magnetosheath electron distributions around the dayside equatorial magnetopause. As examples, data from two days when magnetopause crossings occurred, 28 August 1978 and 12 November 1978, are discussed. The boundary layer electrons are intermediate in temperature and density between those in the ring current and the magnetosheath but cannot be a simple admixture of the two populations. The transition from boundary layer to magnetosheath electrons is often sudden. We believe it to be coincident with the magnetopause where the magnetic field changes from terrestrial to interplanetary.     

The motion of lithium test ions in the quiet time nightside magnetosphere: Conservation of magnetic moment and longitudinal invariants

One of the active experiments to be performed as part of the AMPTE mission involves the release of lithium ions in the geomagnetic tail and their subsequent detection after Earthward convection into the nightside outer ring current region. In a previous paper, the guiding centre trajectories of ions were integrated in a simple two-dimensional model of the quiet time nightside magnetosphere in order to estimate their properties on arrival in the ring current region. In this paper, the validity of the guiding centre approximation is investigated, using full trajectory integrations in a simplified one-dimensional field model. In particular, it is shown to be valid for the lithium ion trajectories in the simple two-dimensional model field over the observed range of quiet time magnetotail field values. Analytical approximations for the properties of ions as they first cross the tail centre plane, and approximate longitudinal invariants of the subsequent Earthward motion are then derived. Finally, by comparison of these with the numerical results it is demonstrated that the speeds and pitch angles of the ions arriving in the ring current region can be predicted analytically to a reasonable approximation, and hence can be simply calculated for any given model of the quiet time geomagnetic tail.