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Nonlobe Reconnection at the Earth's Magnetopause for Northward IMF
Lavraud, B.; Fuselier, S. A.; Trattner, K. J. +2 more
Under northward interplanetary magnetic field conditions, magnetic reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause is usually thought to operate through the merging of magnetosheath magnetic field lines and open magnetic field lines from the magnetospheric lobe. However, reconnection also occurs between magnetosheath field lines and closed magnetic field…
Mass Composition of the Escaping Flux at Mars: MEX Observations
Nilsson, H.; Rojas-Castillo, D.; Stenberg Wieser, G.
Using more than 7 years of ion measurements from the ASPERA-3/IMA instrument onboard the Mars Express mission, we analyze the mass composition of the two main outflowing heavy ion species O2+ and O+. Using an improved multispecies fitting technique, we discriminate the molecular from atomic oxygen ion population. W…
The Dusty Plasma Disk Around the Janus/Epimetheus Ring
Gurnett, D. A.; Persoon, A. M.; Kurth, W. S. +5 more
We report on the electron, ion, and dust number densities and the electron temperatures obtained by the Radio and Plasma Wave Science instruments onboard Cassini during the Ring-Grazing orbits. The numerous ring passage observations show a consistent picture as follows: (1) Beyond 0.1 RS above and below the equator the electron and ion …
Statistical Study of the Energetic Proton Environment at Titan's Orbit From the Cassini Spacecraft
Coates, A. J.; Luhmann, J. G.; Krupp, N. +9 more
A statistical study of the energetic proton environment at Titan's orbit as captured by the MIMI/LEMMS and MIMI/CHEMS instruments is performed. The data analyzed cover all the dedicated flybys of Titan by Cassini as well as the orbit crossings that happen far from the moon. The energetic environment is found to be highly variable on timescales com…
Cassini RPWS Dust Observation Near the Janus/Epimetheus Orbit
Gurnett, D. A.; Persoon, A. M.; Hospodarsky, G. B. +7 more
During the Ring Grazing orbits near the end of Cassini mission, the spacecraft crossed the equatorial plane near the orbit of Janus/Epimetheus ( 2.5 Rs). This region is populated with dust particles that can be detected by the Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument via an electric field antenna signal. Analysis of the voltage waveforms re…
Equatorial Evolution of the Fast Magnetosonic Mode in the Source Region: Observation-Simulation Comparison of the Preferential Propagation Direction
Boardsen, Scott A.; Liu, Kaijun; Denton, Richard E. +1 more
Recent analysis of an event observed by the Van Allen Probes in the source region outside the plasmapause has shown that fast magnetosonic waves (also referred to as equatorial noise) propagate preferentially in the azimuthal direction, implying that wave amplification should occur during azimuthal propagation. To demonstrate this, we carry out 2-…
Detailed Regression Model of Plasma Sheet By
Petrukovich, A. A.; Lukin, A. S.
In a statistical model plasma sheet By primarily depends on interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Byi and geodipole tilt τ. With 11 years of Geotail measurements we investigate a role of several other parameters with a linear regression model. Optimal averaging window of IMF input, maximizing correlation and regression coefficients, is fo…
Influence of the Interplanetary Convective Electric Field on the Distribution of Heavy Pickup Ions Around Mars
Fränz, M.; Nilsson, H.; Liemohn, M. W. +3 more
This study obtains a statistical representation of 2-15 keV heavy ions outside of the Martian-induced magnetosphere and depicts their organization by the solar wind convective electric field (<fi>E</fi>SW). The overlap in the lifetime of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) and Mars Express (MEX) provides a period of nearly three year…
Variations of Field Line Eigenfrequencies With Ring Current Intensity
Sandhu, J. K.; Yeoman, T. K.; Rae, I. J.
We present results from the closed magnetosphere (5.9≤L < 9.5 over all magnetic local times) to demonstrate and assess the variations in field line eigenfrequency with geomagnetic activity. Using the time-of-flight technique with realistic magnetic field and mass density models, the spatial distributions of field line eigenfrequencies are deter…
Generation Mechanism for Interlinked Flux Tubes on the Magnetopause
Facskó, G.; Sibeck, D.; Gonzalez, W. D. +4 more
We use a global magnetohydrodynamics simulation to analyze transient magnetic reconnection processes at the magnetopause. The solar wind conditions have been kept constant, and an interplanetary magnetic field with large duskward BY and southward BZ components has been imposed. Five flux transfer events (FTEs) with clear bipo…