Search Publications
Inflow direction of interstellar neutrals deduced from pickup ion measurements at 1 AU
Galvin, Antoinette B.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert F.; Bochsler, Peter +4 more
Observations of interstellar pickup ions inside the heliosphere provide an indirect method to access information on the surrounding interstellar medium. The so-called pickup ion focusing cone and pickup ion crescent, which show an imprint of the related longitudinal distribution of interstellar neutrals in form of two overabundances on the down- a…
Rotational modulation and local time dependence of Saturn's infrared H3+ auroral intensity
Brown, R. H.; Baines, K. H.; Lamy, L. +10 more
Planetary auroral emissions reveal the configuration of magnetospheric field-aligned current systems. In this study, Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) observations of Saturn's pre-equinox infrared H3+ aurorae were analysed to show (a) rotational modulation of the auroral intensity in both hemispheres and…
Seasonal variations in Saturn's plasma between the main rings and Enceladus
Wilson, R. J.; Johnson, R. E.; Elrod, M. K. +1 more
With the discovery by the Cassini spacecraft of an oxygen atmosphere over Saturn's main rings, and a strong source of water products from the plumes of Saturn's moon Enceladus, our picture of the physics of Saturn's magnetosphere from the main rings to inside the orbit of Enceladus has changed dramatically. This region contains oxygen ions from th…
Precipitation of highly energetic protons by helium branch electromagnetic ion cyclotron triggered emissions
Omura, Yoshiharu; Shoji, Masafumi
In the equatorial region of the Earth's inner magnetosphere, the electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) triggered emissions are generated through interaction with energetic protons. We investigate the generation process of the EMIC triggered emissions in the He+branch and associated precipitation of the energetic protons using a one-dimen…
Thin current sheets in the presence of a guiding magnetic field in Earth's magnetosphere
Malova, H. V.; Delcourt, D. C.; Petrukovich, A. A. +7 more
A self-consistent theory of relatively thin anisotropic current sheets (TCS) in collisionless plasma is developed, taking into account the presence of a guiding field By (all notations are used in the GSM coordinate system). TCS configurations with a finite value of guiding field By are often observed in Earth's magnetotail a…
A case study of proton precipitation at Mars: Mars Express observations and hybrid simulations
Kallio, E.; Fedorov, A.; Barabash, S. +8 more
Using the data from the Analyzer of Space Plasma and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) experiment on board Mars Express and hybrid simulations, we have investigated the entry of protons into the Martian induced magnetosphere. We discuss one orbit on the dayside with observations of significant proton fluxes at altitudes down to 260 km on 27 February 2004…
Seasonal and clock angle control of the location of flux transfer event signatures at the magnetopause
Milan, S. E.; Fear, R. C.; Palmroth, M.
Most models of flux transfer event (FTE) formation produce pairs of structures which in general move away from the subsolar region and give rise to signatures which can be observed in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The multiple reconnection line (X line) model is unusual as a reconnection-based model that is capable of producing a sin…
Formation, shape, and evolution of magnetic structures in CIRs at 1 AU
McComas, D. J.; Desai, M. I.; Broiles, T. W.
We have surveyed the properties of 153 co-rotating interaction regions (CIRs) observed at 1 AU from January, 1995 through December, 2008. We identified that 74 of the 153 CIRs contain planar magnetic structures (PMSs). For planar and non-planar CIRs, we compared distributions of the bulk plasma and magnetic field parameters. Our identification of …
Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities at the magnetic cavity boundary of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Combi, M. R.; Gombosi, T. I.; Rubin, M. +3 more
We investigate the plasma environment of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the target of the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission. Rosetta will rendezvous with the comet in 2014 at almost 3.5 AU and follow it all the way to and past perihelion at 1.3 AU. During its journey towards the inner solar system the comet's environment will significantly…
An analysis of thermospheric density response to solar flares during 2001-2006
Le, Huijun; Liu, Libo; Wan, Weixing
Previous studies show there are significant thermospheric responses to the two great solar flares on October 28, 2003 (X17.2) and November 4, 2003 (X28). In the present study, we further explored the thermospheric response to all X-class solar flares during 2001-2006. The observed results show that X5 and stronger solar flares can induce an averag…