Magnetic Reconnection in the Earth's Magnetotail

1985 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward W Hones Jr
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Plasma Sheet ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Reasonable Doubt ◽  
Physical Processes ◽  
Geomagnetic Disturbances ◽  
Magnetospheric Substorms ◽  
The Past ◽  
Fundamental Physical

Over the past few years satellite observations of the plasma sheet in the Earth's magnetotail during magnetospheric substorms have established beyond reasonable doubt that magnetic reconnection occurs in the magnetotail and that it plays a central role in the substorm process. The features seen at Earth by which substorms were originally identified (e.g. the auroras and geomagnetic disturbances) are simply superficial manifestations of a more fundamental physical process-the magnetosphere divesting itself of stored energy and plasma that was acquired earlier from the solar wind. It does so by shedding a part of its plasma sheet. This is accomplished by magnetic reconnection near the Earth that severs the plasma sheet, forming a plasmoid that flows out of the tail and that is lost to the solar wind. Recognition of the existence of plasmoids and our developing understanding of them have been important elements in confirming the occurrence of reconnection in the magnetosphere. In an analogous way, the best evidence for the occurrence of reconnection on the Sun has come from observations of closed magnetic configurations (plasmoids) in the solar wind and in the corona. But while magnetic reconnection is certainly the key ingredient in solar flares and substorms, analogies between them should not be carried too far, because there are basic differences in the environments in which they prevail and in the physical procesSes that lead to their occurrence.

scholarly journals Causality and Information Transfer Between the Solar Wind and the Magnetosphere–Ionosphere System

Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 390
Author(s):  
Pouya Manshour ◽  
Georgios Balasis ◽  
Giuseppe Consolini ◽  
Constantinos Papadimitriou ◽  
Milan Paluš
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Linear Time ◽  
Vertical Component ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Theoretic Approach ◽  
Geomagnetic Disturbances ◽  
Magnetospheric Substorms ◽  
Solar Wind Parameters ◽  
Information Theoretic Approach

An information-theoretic approach for detecting causality and information transfer is used to identify interactions of solar activity and interplanetary medium conditions with the Earth’s magnetosphere–ionosphere systems. A causal information transfer from the solar wind parameters to geomagnetic indices is detected. The vertical component of the interplanetary magnetic field (Bz) influences the auroral electrojet (AE) index with an information transfer delay of 10 min and the geomagnetic disturbances at mid-latitudes measured by the symmetric field in the H component (SYM-H) index with a delay of about 30 min. Using a properly conditioned causality measure, no causal link between AE and SYM-H, or between magnetospheric substorms and magnetic storms can be detected. The observed causal relations can be described as linear time-delayed information transfer.

scholarly journals Four Subjects in Solar Physics from the Point of View of the Electric Current Approach

2020 ◽  
pp. 33-45
Author(s):  
Syun-Ichi Akasofu
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Electric Current ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Solar Physics ◽  
Current Approach ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Coronal Temperature ◽  
The Past ◽  
Electromagnetic Processes ◽  
Difficult Subjects

Four major subjects in solar physics, the heating of the corona, the cause of the solar wind, the formation of sunspots and the cause of solar flares, are discussed on the basis of the electric current approach, a sequence of processes consisting of power supply(dynamo), transmission (currents/circuits) and dissipation(high coronal temperature, solar wind, sunspots and solar flares).This is because the four subjects have hardly been considered in terms of the electric current approach in the past, in spite of the fact that these subjects are various manifestations of electromagnetic processes. It is shown that this approach provides a new systematic way of considering each subject; (1) the long-standing issue of the coronal temperature, (2)the long-standing problem on the cause of the solar wind, (3)the presence of single spots(forgotten or dismissed in the past) and its relation to unipolar magnetic regions and (4) the crucial power/energy source and subsequent explosive processes of solar flares. The four subjects are obviously extremely complicated and difficult subjects, but it is hoped that the electric current approach might provide a new insight in considering the four subjects.

The record of solar and galactic radiations in the ancient lunar regolith and their implications for the early history of the Sun and Moon

1977 ◽  
Vol 285 (1327) ◽  
pp. 587-592 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Solar Flare ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Lunar Regolith ◽  
Galactic Cosmic Rays ◽  
Flare Activity ◽  
New Techniques ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
Individual Grains

A variety of techniques are available for studying past variations of solar wind, solar flares, galactic cosmic rays, and micrometeorites. Lumar rock results which average over the recent past ( ~ 10 Ma) indicate no major changes in any of these components. At longer times, recent data suggest secular changes in the 15N/14N ratio in the solar wind, possibly due to enhanced solar flare activity. With the deployment of new techniques, it now appears possible to measure solar wind, solar flare, and micrometeorite records in individual grains removed from different layers of lunar cores. Such grains have been exposed for brief intervals of time (103-104 a) for times extending at least 109 a in the past. Lunar and meteoritic breccias are promising candidates for extending the record back still further, perhaps close to the beginning of the solar system.

scholarly journals Shock Waves and Plasma Ejection: Corpuscular and Interplanetary Evidence

1974 ◽  
Vol 57 ◽  
pp. 361-363
Author(s):  
A. J. Hundhausen
Keyword(s):  
Shock Waves ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Interplanetary Space ◽  
Space Exploration ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Geomagnetic Disturbances ◽  
The Past ◽  
Solar Material

The ejection of rapidly-moving solar material into interplanetary space in association with solar flares has been discussed since 1859, when geomagnetic disturbances and auroral displays followed shortly after the first observation of a flare by Carrington and Hodgson. Until the advent of in situ interplanetary observations in the early 1960's, such discussions were based upon the indirect information regarding interplanetary space that could be inferred from geomagnetic or cosmic ray data. The past decade of space exploration has provided a great deal of direct information regarding the interplanetary effects of solar flares and some quantitative implications regarding the nature of transient coronal disturbances.

scholarly journals Magnetic reconnection associated fluctuations in the deep magnetotail: ARTEMIS results

2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 861-869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Vörös
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Plasma Sheet ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Neutral Sheet ◽  
Magnetic Fluctuations ◽  
Scaling Features ◽  
Proton Cyclotron ◽  
Probe Mission ◽  
Fast Reconnection

Abstract. On the basis of ARTEMIS two-probe mission magnetic reconnection (MR) outflow associated magnetic fluctuations and turbulence are analyzed on 19 February 2011. In the deep-tail, at distances between X = 45 – 51 RE, evidence for reconnection associated plasma sheet thinning was found, accompanied by heating of the plasma sheet. Correlated flow and field reversals and the large-scale Hall-effect signatures indicated the presence of the reconnection X-line. Within fast reconnection plasma outflows, magnetic fluctuations exhibit the same spectral scaling features and kinked spectra as magnetic fluctuations in the solar wind or in various parts of geospace. It was shown that the proton scale magnetic fluctuations are constrained by oblique firehose, proton cyclotron and mirror instability thresholds. For parallel plasma β|| > 1, where the thresholds converge, perpendicular magnetic fluctuations are enhanced. Magnetic compressibility decreases with the distance to the neutral sheet, however, near the instability thresholds it is comparable to the values obtained in the solar wind.

scholarly journals The Galactic Center

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (S238) ◽  
pp. 173-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reinhard Genzel ◽  
Vladimír Karas
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Optics ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Reasonable Doubt ◽  
Physical Processes ◽  
Solar Mass ◽  
X Ray ◽  
The Past ◽  
Sagittarius A ◽  
Adaptive Optics Imaging

AbstractIn the past decade high resolution measurements in the infrared employing adaptive optics imaging on 10m telescopes have allowed determining the three dimensional orbits stars within ten light hours of the compact radio source at the center of the Milky Way. These observations show the presence of a three million solar mass black hole in Sagittarius A* beyond any reasonable doubt. The Galactic Center thus constitutes the best astrophysical evidence for the existence of black holes which have long been postulated, and is also an ideal ‘lab’ for studying the physics in the vicinity of such an object. Remarkably, young massive stars are present there and probably have formed in the innermost stellar cusp. Variable infrared and X-ray emission from Sagittarius A* are a new probe of the physical processes and space-time curvature just outside the event horizon.

scholarly journals Temperature anisotropies of electrons and two-component protons in the dusk plasma sheet

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 1417-1432 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. N. Nishino ◽  
M. Fujimoto ◽  
T. Terasawa ◽  
G. Ueno ◽  
K. Maezawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Plasma Sheet ◽  
Cold Plasma ◽  
Strong Anisotropy ◽  
Low Latitude ◽  
Selective Heating ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Low Latitude Boundary Layer

Abstract. To investigate the cold plasma sheet formation under northward IMF, we study the temperature anisotropies of electrons and two-component protons observed by the Geotail spacecraft. The two-component protons, which are occasionally observed in the dusk plasma sheet near the low-latitude boundary, are the result of spatial mixing of the hot protons of the magnetosphere proper and the cold protons from the solar wind. Recent research focusing on the two-component protons reported that the cold proton component at times has a strong anisotropy, and that the sense of the anisotropy depends on the observed locations. Since electrons have been known to possess a strong parallel anisotropy around the low-latitude boundary layer, we compare anisotropies of electrons and protons to find that the strengths of parallel anisotropies of electrons and the cold proton component are in good correlation in the tail flank. The parallel anisotropy of electrons is stronger than that of the cold proton component, which is attributed to selective heating of electrons. We further find that the strengths of the parallel anisotropies in the tail flank depend on the latitudinal angle of the IMF; strong parallel anisotropies occur under strongly northward IMF. We discuss that the Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices, which developed under strongly northward IMF, and the resultant magnetic reconnection therein may lead to the strong parallel anisotropies observed in the tail flank.

scholarly journals Energetic particle fluxes in the exterior cusp and the high-latitude dayside magnetosphere: statistical results from the Cluster/RAPID instrument

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 2217-2230 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Asikainen ◽  
K. Mursula
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
High Latitude ◽  
Plasma Sheet ◽  
Solar Wind Speed ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Energetic Particles ◽  
Proton Fluxes ◽  
Particle Fluxes

Abstract. In this paper we study the fluxes of energetic protons (30–4000 keV) and electrons (20–400 keV) in the exterior cusp and in the adjacent high-latitude dayside plasma sheet (HLPS) with the Cluster/RAPID instrument. Using two sample orbits we demonstrate that the Cluster observations at high latitudes can be dramatically different because the satellite orbit traverses different plasma regions for different external conditions. We make a statistical study of energetic particles in the exterior cusp and HLPS by analysing all outbound Cluster dayside passes in February and March, 2002 and 2003. The average particle fluxes in HLPS are roughly three (protons) or ten (electrons) times larger than in the exterior cusp. This is also true on those Cluster orbits where both regions are visited within a short time interval. Moreover, the total electron fluxes, as well as proton fluxes above some 100 keV, in these two regions correlate with each other. This is true even for fluxes in every energy channel when considered separately. The spectral indices of electron and proton fluxes are the same in the two regions. We also examine the possible dependence of particle fluxes at different energies on the external (solar wind and IMF) and internal (geomagnetic) conditions. The energetic proton fluxes (but not electron fluxes) in the cusp behave differently at low and high energies. At low energies (<70 keV), the fluxes increase strongly with the magnitude of IMF By. Instead, at higher energies the proton fluxes in the cusp depend on substorm/geomagnetic activity. In HLPS proton fluxes, irrespective of energy, depend strongly on the Kp and AE indices. The electron fluxes in HLPS depend both on the <Kp index and the solar wind speed. In the cusp the electron fluxes mainly depend on the solar wind speed, and are higher for northward than southward IMF. These results give strong evidence in favour of the idea that the high-latitude dayside plasma sheet is the main source of energetic particles in the exterior cusp. Energetic particles can reach HLPS from the near-Earth tail. The closed field lines of HLPS act as storage for these particles. Direct diffusion (for electrons and high-energy protons) and magnetic reconnection in the high-latitude magnetopause near HLPS (for low energy protons) control the number of particles released into the exterior cusp. Note that this explanation, in contrast to other suggested theories, works both for the energetic protons and electrons in the exterior cusp. Keywords. Magnetospheric physics (Magnetopause, cusp and boundary layers; Solar wind-magnetosphere interactions) – Space plasma physics (magnetic reconnection)

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