Dipolarization fronts in the magnetotail plasma sheet

We present a THEMIS study of a dipolarization front associated with a bursty bulk flow (BBF) that was observed in the central plasma sheet sequentially at X=−20.1, −16.7, and −11.0R_E. Simultaneously, the THEMIS ground network observed the formation of a north-south auroral form and intensification of westward auroral zone currents. Timing of the signatures in space suggests earthward propagation of the front at a velocity of 300 km/s. Spatial profiles of current and electron density on the front reveal a spatial scale of 500 km, comparable to an ion inertial length and an ion thermal gyroradius. This kinetic-scale structure traveled a macroscale distance of 10R_E in about 4 min without loss of coherence. The dipolarization front, therefore, is an example of space plasma cross-scale coupling. THEMIS observations at different geocentric distances are similar to recent particle-in-cell simulations demonstrating the appearance of dipolarization fronts on the leading edge of plasma fast flows in the vicinity of a reconnection site. Dipolarization fronts, therefore, may be interpreted as remote signatures of transient reconnection.     

Electric Currents at imf Sector Boundaries

Numerical simulation of magnetic field reconnection at IMF sector boundaries shows that the reconnection line may be carried by the solar wind out of the region of the anomalous resistivity. This makes it possible to observe magnetic loops at the Earth's orbit open to the Sun as well as from it. Besides, it is shown that the current sheet in the vicinity of the reconnection line has to split into two currents.Experimental data on the structure of the sector boundaries are analyzed, and it is shown that the currents at sector boundaries are indeed often splitted.The thickness of the splitted boundaries may amount to 18×106 km; taking into account this value, the heliocentric distance of the region of anomalous resistivity in the interplanetary current sheet is estimated as 0.4–0.5 AU.The probability of observing magnetic loops open towards the Sun seems to be greater than that of loops open from the Sun, which suggests an essential asymmetry of the field reversal regions.     

Dynamics of cosmic current layers with localized lower-hybrid-drift turbulence

A two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic model of the dynamics of tail-like current layers caused by anomalous electrical resistivity in a plasma with lower-hybrid-drift (LHD) turbulence is considered. Additionally to the LHD-resistivity, a resistivity pulse in the magnetic neutral sheet is given initiating a magnetic reconnection process. Then the temporal and spatial evolution of the magnetic and electric fields, the plasma convection and the anomalous resistivity are obtained numerically. Taking into account more exact expressions for the LHD-resistivity in the current layer as done in former works, the LHD-turbulence is found to be excited farther from the neutral sheet, and thus, with the time, secondary current sheets are obtained in the plasma-magnetic field system. It is shown that the inductive electric field moving from the magnetic neutral sheet to the current layer periphery during the reconnection process may be considered as indicator of the plasma disturbances.