Search Publications
Global Structure of Magnetotail Reconnection Revealed by Mining Space Magnetometer Data
Sitnov, M. I.; Genestreti, K. J.; Tsyganenko, N. A. +5 more
Reconnection in the magnetotail occurs along so-called X-lines, where magnetic field lines tear and detach from plasma on microscopic spatial scales (comparable to particle gyroradii). In 2017-2020, the Magnetospheric MultiScale (MMS) mission detected X-lines in the magnetotail enabling their investigation on local scales. However, the global stru…
Applying Magnetic Curvature to MMS Data to Identify Thin Current Sheets Relative to Tail Reconnection
Farrugia, C. J.; Torbert, R. B.; Rogers, A. J. +1 more
Thin current sheets (TCSs) have been postulated to be a necessary precondition for reconnection onset. Magnetic reconnection X-lines in the magnetotail have been observed to be more common duskward of midnight. We take advantage of the MMS tetrahedral formation during the 2017-2020 MMS tail seasons to calculate the thickness of the cross-tail neut…
Properties of Flapping Current Sheet of the Martian Magnetotail
Rong, Zhaojin; Shen, Chao; Wei, Yong +5 more
Knowing the properties of the Martian magnetotail flapping waves is critical to understand the dynamics of the Martian induced magnetosphere. Based on the measurements by Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN and a newly developed method, we provide the first quantitative study of Martian magnetotail flapping waves in comparison with Earth's magn…
Occurrence Rates of Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) Waves With Rising Tones in the Van Allen Probes Data Set
Smith, C. W.; Kletzing, C. A.; Sigsbee, K. +1 more
In Fourier time-frequency power spectrograms of satellite magnetic field data, electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves may feature discrete, rising tone structures that rapidly increase in frequency. Using data from the Van Allen Probes Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument Suite and Integrated Science (EMFISIS) fluxgate magnetometer, we condu…
Investigating Whistler-Mode Wave Intensity Along Field Lines Using Electron Precipitation Measurements
Zhang, Xiao-Jia; Angelopoulos, Vassilis; Tsai, Ethan +1 more
Electron fluxes in Earth's radiation belts are significantly affected by their resonant interaction with whistler-mode waves. This wave-particle interaction often occurs via first cyclotron resonance and, when intense and nonlinear, can accelerate subrelativistic electrons to relativistic energies while also scattering them into the atmospheric lo…
Cluster Observation on the Latitudinal Distribution of Magnetic Pc5 Pulsations in the Inner Magnetosphere
Cao, Jinbin; Li, Xinlin; Liu, Wenlong +4 more
Ultralow frequency (ULF) waves in the Pc5 band are ubiquitous in the inner magnetosphere and can impact radiation belt dynamics by interacting with electrons through drift or drift-bounce resonance. In this paper, based on ∼ 19 years of Cluster measurements, we perform a comprehensive study of the three-dimensional distribution of poloidal, toroid…
Ring Current Morphology From MMS Observations
Russell, C. T.; Dunlop, M. W.; Shen, C. +5 more
We directly estimate the in situ current density of the Earth's ring current (RC) using the curlometer method and investigate its morphology using the small spatial separations and high accuracy of the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. Through statistical analysis of data from September 2015 to the end of 2016, covering the region of 2-8 RE<…
Field Gradient Analysis Based on a Geometrical Approach
Dunlop, M.; Shen, C.
Using multi-point observations from a spacecraft constellation, the spatial gradients of measured physical quantities can be calculated, and thus other derived parameters for the plasma (e.g., current density, topology of magnetic field lines, and wave vectors) can also be calculated. In this research, a geometrical method based on integral theore…
Cassini Radio Occultation Observations of Saturn's Ionosphere: Electron Density Profiles From 2005 to 2013
Withers, Paul; Dalba, P. A.; Moore, L. +2 more
A set of electron density profiles of Saturn's ionosphere acquired by Cassini radio occultations is archived at the NASA Planetary Data System. However, the reference surface that defines zero altitude in these profiles is unknown and appears to vary by 1,500 km at fixed latitude. These profiles are immensely valuable for addressing questions pert…
Statistical Study of Release Time and Its Energy Dependence of In Situ Energetic Electrons in Impulsive Solar Flares
Li, Gang; Wang, Linghua; Zhao, Lulu +3 more
Using the fraction velocity dispersion analysis method, it has been shown recently that in two impulsive solar energetic electron (SEE) events, the release times of near-relativistic electrons at the Sun for outward-propagating electrons are energy dependent and are delayed compared to those of the downward-propagating electrons. In this work, we …