Solar wind energy transfer regions inside the dayside magnetopause—I. Evidence for magnetosheath plasma penetration     

R. Lundin  E. Dubinin 《Planetary and Space Science》1984,32(6):745-755

PROGNOZ-7 high temporal resolution measurements of the ion composition and hot plasma distribution in the dayside high latitude boundary layer near noon have revealed that magnetosheath plasma may penetrate the dayside magnetopause and form high density, high β, magnetosheath-like regions inside the magnetopause. We will from these measurements demonstrate that the magnetosheath injection regions most probably play an important role in transferring solar wind energy into the magnetosphere. The transfer regions are characterized by a strong perpendicular flow towards dawn or dusk (depending on local time) but are also observed to expand rapidly along the boundary layer field lines. This increased flow component transverse to the local magnetic field corresponds to a predominantly radial electric field of up to several mV m^?1, which indicates that the injected magnetosheath plasma causes an enhanced polarization of the boundary layer. Polarization of the boundary layer can therefore be considered a result of a local MHD-process where magnetosheath plasma excess momentum is converted into electromagnetic energy (electric field), i.e. we have primarily an MHD-generator there. We state primarily because we also observe acceleration of “cold” ions inside the magnetopause as a result of this radial electric field. A few cases of polarity reversals suggest that the polarization is sometimes quite localized.The perhaps most significant finding is that the boundary layer is observed to be charged up to tens of kilovolts, a potential which may be highly variable depending on e.g. the presence of a momentum exchange by the energy transfer regions.  相似文献   

Evidence for the heating of thermal electrons at the magnetopause boundary layer     

D.J. Rodgers  G.L. Wrenn  S.W.H. Cowley 《Planetary and Space Science》1984,32(6):657-666

The suprathermal plasma analyser on the geostationary satellite Geos-2 can identify magnetospheric, boundary layer and magnetosheath electron distributions around the dayside equatorial magnetopause. As examples, data from two days when magnetopause crossings occurred, 28 August 1978 and 12 November 1978, are discussed. The boundary layer electrons are intermediate in temperature and density between those in the ring current and the magnetosheath but cannot be a simple admixture of the two populations. The transition from boundary layer to magnetosheath electrons is often sudden. We believe it to be coincident with the magnetopause where the magnetic field changes from terrestrial to interplanetary.  相似文献   

Interball contribution to the high-altitude cusp observations     

Z. Nme ek  J. &#x;afrnkov  J. Mrka  J. &#x;imnek  L. P&#x;ech 《Planetary and Space Science》2007,55(15):2286-2294

The polar cusps have traditionally been described as narrow funnel-shaped regions of magnetospheric magnetic field lines directly connected to magnetosheath, allowing the magnetosheath plasma to precipitate into the ionosphere. However, recent observations and theoretical considerations revealed that the formation of the cusp cannot be treated separately from the processes along the whole dayside magnetopause and that the plasma in regions like cleft or low-latitude boundary layer is of the same origin. Our review of statistical results as well as numerous case studies identified the anti-parallel merging at the magnetopause as the principal source of the magnetosheath plasma in all altitudes. Since effective merging requires a low plasma speed at the reconnection spot, we have found that the magnetopause shape and especially its indentation at the outer cusp is a very important part of the whole process. The plasma is slowed down in this indentation and arising multiscale turbulent processes enhance the reconnection rate.  相似文献   

Mercury’s magnetosphere-solar wind interaction for northward and southward interplanetary magnetic field: Hybrid simulation results     

Pavel M. Trávní?ek  David Schriver  David Her?ík  Menelaos Sarantos 《Icarus》2010,209(1):11-22

Analysis of global hybrid simulations of Mercury’s magnetosphere-solar wind interaction is presented for northward and southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientations in the context of MESSENGER’s first two encounters with Mercury. The global kinetic simulations reveal the basic structure of this interaction, including a bow shock, ion foreshock, magnetosheath, cusp regions, magnetopause, and a closed ion ring belt formed around the planet within the magnetosphere. The two different IMF orientations induce different locations of ion foreshock and different magnetospheric properties: the dayside magnetosphere is smaller and cusps are at lower latitudes for southward IMF compared to northward IMF whereas for southward IMF the nightside magnetosphere is larger and exhibits a thin current sheet with signatures of magnetic reconnection and plasmoid formation. For the two IMF orientations the ion foreshock and quasi-parallel magnetosheath manifest ion-beam-driven large-amplitude oscillations, whereas the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath shows ion-temperature-anisotropy-driven wave activity. The ions in Mercury’s belt remain quasi-trapped for a limited time before they are either absorbed by Mercury’s surface or escape from the magnetosphere. The simulation results are compared with MESSENGER’s observations.  相似文献   

Solar wind energy transfer regions inside the dayside magnetopause: Accelerated heavy ions as tracers for MHD-processes in the dayside boundary layer     

R. Lundin  E.M. Dubinin 《Planetary and Space Science》1985,33(8):891-907

Plasma and magnetic field data from PROGNOZ-7 have revealed that solar wind (magnetosheath) plasma elements may penetrate the dayside magnetopause surface and form high density regions with enhanced cross-field flow in the boundary layer.The injected magnetosheath plasma is observed to have an excess drift velocity as compared to the local boundary layer plasma, comprising both “cold” plasma of terrestrial origin and a hot ring current component. A differential drift between two plasma components can be understood in terms of a momentum transfer process driven by an injected magnetosheath plasma population. The braking action of the injected plasma may be described as a dynamo process where particle kinetic energy is transferred into electromagnetic energy (electric field). The generated electric field will force the local plasma to $\text{ε×}\text{B}\text{-drift}$, and the dynamo region therefore also constitutes an accelerator region for the local plasma. Whenever energy is dissipated from the energy transfer process (a net current is flowing through a load), there will also be a difference between the induced electric field and the $\text{v}\text{×}\text{B}$ term of the generator plasma. Thus, the local plasma will drift more slowly than the injected generator plasma.We will present observations showing that a relation between the momentum transferred, the injected plasma and the momentum taken up by the local plasma exists. For instance, if the local plasma density is sufficiently high, the differential drift velocity of the injected and local plasma will be small. A large fraction of the excess momentum is then transferred to the local plasma. Conversely, a low local plasma density results in a high velocity difference and a low fraction of local momentum transfer.In our study cases the “cold” plasma component was frequently found to dominate the local magnetospheric plasma density in the boundary layer. Accordingly, this component may have the largest influence on the local momentum transfer process. We will demonstrate that this also seems to be the case. Moreover we show that the accelerated “cold” plasma component may be used as a tracer element reflecting both the momentum and energy transfer and the penetration process in the dayside boundary layer.The high He⁺ percentage of the accelerated “cold” plasma indicates a plasmaspheric origin. Considering the quite high densities of energetic He⁺ found in the boundary layer, the overall low abundance of He⁺ (as compared to e.g. O⁺) found in the plasma sheet and outer ring current evidently reduces the importance of the dayside boundary layer as a plasma source in the large scale magnetospheric circulation system.  相似文献   

Initial Venus Express magnetic field observations of the magnetic barrier at solar minimum     

T.L. Zhang  M. Delva  M. Volwerk  S. Barabash  S. Pope  C. Wang 《Planetary and Space Science》2008,56(6):790-795

Although there is no intrinsic magnetic field at Venus, the convected interplanetary magnetic field piles up to form a magnetic barrier in the dayside inner magnetosheath. In analogy to the Earth's magnetosphere, the magnetic barrier acts as an induced magnetosphere on the dayside and hence as the obstacle to the solar wind. It consists of regions near the planet and its wake for which the magnetic pressure dominates all other pressure contributions. The initial survey performed with the Venus Express magnetic field data indicates a well-defined boundary at the top of the magnetic barrier region. It is clearly identified by a sudden drop in magnetosheath wave activity, and an abrupt and pronounced field draping. It marks the outer boundary of the induced magnetosphere at Venus, and we adopt the name “magnetopause” to address it. The magnitude of the draped field in the inner magnetosheath gradually increases and the magnetopause appears to show no signature in the field strength. This is consistent with PVO observations at solar maximum. A preliminary survey of the 2006 magnetic field data confirms the early PVO radio occultation observations that the ionopause stands at ∼250 km altitude across the entire dayside at solar minimum. The altitude of the magnetopause is much lower than at solar maximum, due to the reduced altitude of the ionopause at large solar zenith angles and the magnetization of the ionosphere. The position of the magnetopause at solar minimum is coincident with the ionopause in the subsolar region. This indicates a sinking of the magnetic barrier into the ionosphere. Nevertheless, it appears that the thickness of the magnetic barrier remains the same at both solar minimum and maximum. We have found that the ionosphere is magnetized ∼95% of the time at solar minimum, compared with 15% at solar maximum. For the 5% when the ionosphere is un-magnetized at solar minimum, the ionopause occurs at a higher location typically only seen during solar maximum conditions. These have all occurred during extreme solar conditions.  相似文献   

A mathematical magnetospheric field model with independent physical parameters     

Gerd-Hannes Voigt 《Planetary and Space Science》1981,29(1):1-20

A quantitative magnetospheric magnetic field model has been calculated in three dimensions. The model is based on an analytical solution of the Chapman-Ferraro problem. For this solution, the magnetopause was assumed to be an infinitesimally thin discontinuity with given geometry. The shape of the dayside magnetopause is in agreement with measurements derived from spacecraft boundary crossings.The magnetic field of the magnetopause currents can be derived from scalar potentials. The scalar potentials result from solutions of Laplace's equation with Neumann's boundary conditions. The boundary values and the magnetic flux through the magnetopause are determined by all magnetic sources which are located inside and outside the magnetospheric cavity. They include the Earth's dipole field, the fields of the equatorial ring current and tail current systems, and the homogeneous interplanetary magnetic field. In addition, the flux through the magnetopause depends on two constants of interconnection which provide the possibility of calculating static interconnection between magnetospheric and interplanetary field lines. Realistic numerical values for both constants have been derived empirically from observed displacements of the polar cusps which are due to changes in the orientation of the interplanetary field. The transition from a closed to an open magnetosphere and vice versa can be computed in terms of a change of the magnetic boundary conditions on the magnetopause. The magnetic field configuration of the closed magnetosphere is independent of the amount and orientation of the interplanetary field. In contrast, the configuration of the open magnetosphere confirms the observational finding that field line interconnection occurs primarily in the polar cusp and high latitude tail regions.The tail current system reflects explicitly the effect of dayside magnetospheric compression which is caused by the solar wind. In addition, the position of the plasma sheet relative to the ecliptic plane depends explicitly on the tilt angle of the Earth's dipole. Near the tail axis, the tail field is approximately in a self-consistent equilibrium with the tail currents and the isotropic thermal plasma.The models for the equatorial ring current depend on the D_st-parameter. They are self-consistent with respect to measured energy distributions of ring current protons and the axially symmetric part of the magnetospheric field.  相似文献   

Particle trapping at a tangential discontinuity: Multiple incidence     

Rudolf A. Treumann  Wolfgang Baumjohann 《Planetary and Space Science》1988,36(12):1477-1484

Particle trapping by tangential gradients at the magnetopause is investigated for the case of a tangential discontinuity and taking into account an external magnetosheath magnetic field. Such a field causes a deflection of the reflected particle back to the magnetopause and thus enhances the chances of the particle to be captured by the magnetosphere after having travelled a certain finite distance down the magnetopause. The trapping angle and distances are calculated. Assuming a drifting Maxwellian for the magnetosheath plasma, we estimate that about 5% of that part of the magnetosheath plasma which comes into contact with the magnetopause can enter the dayside magnetopause during the first encounter. After multiple gyrations, about 30% of these particles may be trapped in the magnetosphere.  相似文献   

The role of the magnetic barrier in the Solar wind-magnetosphere interaction     

N.V. ErkaevH.K. Biernat 《Planetary and Space Science》2003,51(12):745-755

The magnetized solar wind carries a large amount of energy but only a small fraction of it enters the magnetosphere and powers its dynamics. Numerous observations show that the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is a key parameter regulating the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction. The main factor determining the amount of energy extracted from the solar wind flow by the magnetosphere is the plasma flow structure in the region adjacent to the sunward side of the magnetopause. While compared to the energy of the solar wind flow the IMF magnetic energy is relatively weak, it is considerably enhanced in a thin layer next to the dayside magnetopause variously called the plasma depletion layer or magnetic barrier. Important features of this barrier/layer are (i) a pile-up of the magnetic field with (ii) a concurrent decrease of density, (iii) enhancement of proton temperature anisotropy, (iv) asymmetry of plasma flow caused by magnetic field tension, and (v) characteristic wave emissions (ion cyclotron waves). Importantly, the magnetic barrier can be considered as an energy source for magnetic reconnection. While the steady-state magnetic barrier has been extensively examined, non-steady processes therein have only been addressed by a few authors. We discuss here two non-steady aspects related to variations of the magnetic barrier caused by (i) a north-to-south rotation of the IMF, and (ii) by pulses of magnetic field reconnection at the magnetopause. When the IMF rotates smoothly from north-to-south, a transition layer is shown to appear in the magnetosheath which evolves into a thin layer bounded by sharp gradients in the magnetic field and plasma quantities. For a given reconnection rate and calculated parameters of the magnetic barrier, we estimate the duration and length scale of a reconnection pulse as a function of the solar wind parameters. Considering a sudden decrease of the magnetic field near the magnetopause caused by the reconnection pulse, we study the relaxation process of the magnetic barrier. We find that the relaxation time is longer than the duration of the reconnection pulse for large Alfvén-Mach numbers.  相似文献   

The structure of the magnetopause     

C.T. Russell 《Planetary and Space Science》2003,51(12):731-744

The solar wind is a magnetized flowing plasma that intersects the Earth's magnetosphere at a velocity much greater than that of the compressional fast mode wave that is required to deflect that flow. A bow shock forms that alters the properties of the plasma and slows the flow, enabling continued evolution of the properties of the flow on route to its intersection with the magnetopause. Thus the plasma conditions at the magnetopause can be quite unlike those in the solar wind. The boundary between this “magnetosheath” plasma and the magnetospheric plasma is many gyroradii thick and is surrounded by several boundary layers. A very important process occurring at the magnetopause is reconnection whereby there is a topological change in magnetic flux lines so that field lines can connect the solar wind plasma to the terrestrial plasma, enabling the two to mix. This connection has important consequences for momentum transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere. The initiation of reconnection appears to be at locations where the magnetic fields on either side of the magnetopause are antiparallel. This condition is equivalent to there being no guide field in the reconnection region, so at the reconnection point there is truly a magnetic neutral or null point. Lastly reconnection can be spatially and temporally varying, causing the region of the magnetopause to be quite dynamic.  相似文献   

Ulysses observations of the planetary depletion layer at Jupiter     

C.M. Hammond  J.L. Phillips  S.J. Bame  E.J. Smith  C.G. Maclennan 《Planetary and Space Science》1993,41(11-12)

The repeated samplings of the Jovian magnetosheath during the Ulysses encounter with Jupiter provided an opportunity to probe the planetary depletion layer. Of the 10 complete crossings of the Jovian magnetopause, only three contained clear signatures of an overlying depletion layer. All of these occurred on the flanks of the magnetosphere near the dusk terminator; crossings on the dayside were ambiguous or clearly lacked a depletion layer signature. In this paper we present a detailed analysis of the observations by the Ulysses solar wind plasma and magnetometer experiments and discuss conditions favorable and unfavorable for depletion layer observation.  相似文献   

Criticism of reconnection models of the magnetosphere     

Walter J. Heikkila 《Planetary and Space Science》1978,26(2):121-129

Reconnection involves singular lines called X-lines on the day and night sides of the magnetosphere, and the reconnection rate is proportional to the component of the electric field along the X-line. Although there is some indirect support for this model, nevertheless direct support is totally lacking. However, there are two distinct pieces of clearly contradictory observational evidence on the dayside. First is the failure to account for the implied energy dissipation by the magnetopause current, over 10¹¹ W, which should be easily observable as heating or enhanced flow of the plasma near the magnetopause. In marked contrast to this prediction, HEOS-2 satellite data reveal a plasma with decreased energy density and reduced flow. Second, the boundary of closed magnetic field lines is in the wrong location. In the reconnection process the plasma outflow would cut across open field lines toward higher latitudes; there should be a band of open field lines equatorward of the cleft. Observations of trapped energetic particles indicate closed field lines within the entry layer and cleft. Either one of these pieces of evidence is sufficient by itself to require drastic revision, even rejection, of the reconnection model. There is also contradictory evidence on the night side. The last closed field line capable of trapping energetic particles is poleward of auroral arcs. The implication is that the X-line is at the distant magnetopause, and not in the plasma sheet. Consequently, even if the reconnection process were operative at the nightside X-line, it would be isolated from steady state plasma sheet and auroral processes. On the other hand, substorm phenomena, in which stored magnetic energy is converted into particle kinetic energy, necessarily involve an induced electric field; that is excluded in theories of the reconnection process in which it is assumed that curl E = 0. Nevertheless, the observed easy access of energetic solar flare particles to the polar caps, and especially the preservation of interplanetary anisotropies as differences between the two polar caps, argues strongly for an open magnetosphere, with interconnection between geomagnetic and inter-planetary magnetic field lines. It is suggested that the resolution of this apparent paradox involves electric fields parallel to the magnetic field lines somewhere on the dawn and dusk sides of the magnetosphere, with an equipotential dayside magnetopause.  相似文献   

Solar wind-magnetosphere interaction as simulated by a 3-D em particle code     

Ken-Ichi Nishikawa  Torsten Neubert  Oscar Buneman 《Astrophysics and Space Science》1995,227(1-2):265-276

We have studied the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction using a 3-D electromagnetic particle code. The results for an unmagnetized solar wind plasma streaming past a dipole magnetic field show the formation of a magnetopause and a magnetotail, the penetration of energetic particles into cusps and radiation belt and dawn-dusk asymmetries. The effects of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) have been investigated in a similar way as done by MHD simulations. The simulation results with a southward IMF show the shrunk magnetosphere with great particle entry into the cusps and nightside magnetosphere. This is a signature of a magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause. After a quasi-stable state is established with an unmagnetized solar wind we switched on a solar wind with an northward IMF. In this case the significant changes take place in the magnetotail. The waving motion was seen in the magnetotail and its length was shortened. This phenomena are consistent with the reconnections which occur at the high latitude magnetopause. In our simulations kinetic effects will determine the self-consistent anomalous resistivity in the magnetopause that causes reconnections.Deceased January 24, 1993; R. Bunemanet al. 1993.  相似文献   

Boundary layer plasmas as a source for high-latitude, early afternoon, auroral arcs     

Rickard Lundin  David S. Evans   《Planetary and Space Science》1985,33(12):1389-1406

Simultaneous measurements of hot boundary layer plasma from PROGNOZ-7 and particle precipitation from the TIROS/NOAA satellite in nearly magnetically conjugate regions have been used to study the dynamo process responsible for the formation of high latitude, early afternoon, auroral arcs.

Characteristic for the PROGNOZ-7 observations in the dayside boundary layer at high latitudes is the frequent occurrence of regions with injected magnetosheath plasma embedded in a “halo” of antisunward flowing magnetosphere plasma. The injected magnetosheath plasma have several features which indicate that it also acts as a local source of EMF in the boundary layer. The process resembles that of a local MHD dynamo driven by the excess drift velocity of the injected magnetosheath plasma relative to the background magnetospheric plasma.

The dynamo region is capable of driving field-aligned currents that couple to the ionosphere, where the upward current is associated with the high latitude auroral arcs.

We demonstrate that the large-scale morphology as well as the detailed data intercomparison between PROGNOZ-7 and TIROS-N both agree well with a local injection of magnetosheath plasma into the dayside boundary layer as the main dynamo process powering the high-latitude, early afternoon auroral arcs.  相似文献   

Observation of a flux transfer event on the earthward side of the magnetopause     

P.W. Daly  E. Keppler 《Planetary and Space Science》1982,30(4):331-337

The medium energy particle spectrometer (electrons of energy > 20 keV, protons > 25 keV) on board ISEE-2 has measured very similar pitch angle distributions and intensities during “flux transfer” events in the magnetosheath and events previously designated as “inclusion” events in the magnetosphere on a single pass through the magnetopause. This is interpreted as strong evidence that magnetic field lines in the magnetosphere can connect to field lines in the magnetosheath, at least locally and for brief times, allowing the same population ofparticles to be observed on both sides of the boundary. In addition, a simple mathematical model is provided incorporating a time constant for the process re-supplying particles to the open flux tube. The observed data are satisfactorily reproduced using a time constant of 46 s, which is comparable to the half-bounce time of protons at this position.  相似文献   

HEOS-2 observations of the boundary layer from the magnetopause to the ionosphere     

V. Formisano 《Planetary and Space Science》1980,28(3):245-257

HEOS-2 low energy electron data (10 eV–3.7 keV) from the LPS Frascati plasma experiment have been used to identify three different magnetospheric electron populations. Magnetosheathlike electron energy spectra (35–50 eV) are characteristic of the plasma mantle, entry layer and cusps from the magnetopause down to 2–3 R_E Plasma sheet electrons (energy > 1 keV) are found at all local times, with strong intensities in the early morning quadrant and weaker intensities in the afternoon quadrant. The plasma sheet shows a well defined inner edge at all local times and latitudes, the inner edge coinciding probably with the plasmapause. The plasma sheet does not reach the magnetopause, but it is separated from it by a boundary layer electron population that is very distinct from the other two electron populations, most electrons having energies 100–300 eV.We map these three electron populations from the magnetopause down to the high latitude near earth regions, by making use of the HEOS-2 low latitude inbound passes and the high latitude outbound passes (in Solar Magnetic (SM) coordinates). The boundary layer extends along the magnetopause up to 5–7 R_E above the equator; at higher latitudes it follows the magnetic lines of force and it is found closer and closer to the earth, so that it has the same invariant latitudes of the system 1 currents observed by Iijima and Potemra (1976) in their region 1. The plasma sheet can be mapped into their region 2 and the cusp-entry layer-plasma mantle can be mapped into their cusp currents region. The boundary layer is observed for any Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) direction. We speculate that magnetosheath particles penetrate into the magnetosphere everywhere along the magnetopause. The electron energization, however, is observed only in the boundary layer, on both dawn and dusk side and could be due to the polarization electric field at magnetopause generated by the magnetosheath plasma bulk motion in the region where such motion is roughly perpendicular to the magnetospheric magnetic field. The electron energization is absent in the regions (entry layer and plasma mantle) where the sheath plasma motion is roughly parallel or antiparallel to the magnetospheric magnetic field.  相似文献   

Low energy electrons and protons in the magnetosphere     

M.B. Bavassano-Cattaneo  V. Formisano 《Planetary and Space Science》1978,26(1):51-63

Observations made by HEOS-2 of low energy electrons and protons in the high latitude magnetosphere are presented. Plasma in the magnetosphere is observed in the cusp (which extend down to low altitudes) and over large areas adjacent to the high latitude magnetopause both on the dayside and on the nightside (the entry layer and the plasma mantle respectively).A comparative study of the plasma properties in the various parts of the magnetosphere is performed. An ion bulk motion directed tailward along the geomagnetic field lines is observed both in the entry layer and in the plasma mantle; in the cusp, on the contrary, the bulk motion is practically absent. Moreover the electron thermal anisotropy is parallel to the magnetic field in the magnetosheath, and perpendicular to it in the plasma mantle. One possible explanation (suggested by Rosenbauer et al., 1975) of the origin of these populations is that plasma, penetrated from the magnetosheath in the entry layer, flows tailward along the field lines, is then reflected in the cusp region and convected in the plasma mantle.  相似文献   

Origin of Mercury’s double magnetopause: 3D hybrid simulation study with A.I.K.E.F.     

Joachim Müller  Sven Simon  Yung-Ching Wang  Uwe Motschmann  Daniel Heyner  Josef Schüle  Wing-Huen Ip  Gero Kleindienst  Gavin J. Pringle 《Icarus》2012,218(1):666-687

During the first and second Mercury flyby the MESSENGER spacecraft detected a dawn side double-current sheet inside the Hermean magnetosphere that was labeled the “double magnetopause” (Slavin, J.A. et al. [2008]. Science 321, 85). This double current sheet confines a region of decreased magnetic field that is referred to as Mercury’s “dayside boundary layer” (Anderson, M., Slavin, J., Horth, H. [2011]. Planet. Space Sci.). Up to the present day the double current sheet, the boundary layer and the key processes leading to their formation are not well understood. In order to advance the understanding of this region we have carried out self-consistent plasma simulations of the Hermean magnetosphere by means of the hybrid simulation code A.I.K.E.F. (Müller, J., Simon, S., Motschmann, U., Schüle, J., Glassmeier, K., Pringle, G.J. [2011]. Comput. Phys. Commun. 182, 946–966). Magnetic field and plasma results are in excellent agreement with the MESSENGER observations. In contrast to former speculations our results prove this double current sheet may exist in a pure solar wind hydrogen plasma, i.e. in the absence of any exospheric ions like sodium. Both currents are similar in orientation but the outer is stronger in intensity. While the outer current sheet can be considered the “classical” magnetopause, the inner current sheet between the magnetopause and Mercury’s surface reveals to be sustained by a diamagnetic current that originates from proton pressure gradients at Mercury’s inner magnetosphere. The pressure gradients in turn exist due to protons that are trapped on closed magnetic field lines and mirrored between north and south pole. Both, the dayside and nightside diamagnetic decreases that have been observed during the MESSENGER mission show to be direct consequences of this diamagnetic current that we label Mercury’s “boundary-layer-current“.  相似文献   

Polar observations of plasma waves in and near the dayside magnetopause/magnetosheath     

J.D. Menietti  J.S. Pickett  G.B. Hospodarsky  J.D. Scudder  D.A. Gurnett 《Planetary and Space Science》2004,52(14):1321-1337

The plasma wave instrument (PWI) on board the Polar spacecraft made numerous passages of the dayside magnetopause and several probable encounters with the magnetosheath during the years 1996 and 1997. During periods of relatively high density, the PWI antenna-receiver system is coupled to the plasma and oscillates. The oscillations have been shown (cf. Radio Sci. 36 (2001) 203) to be indicative of periods of higher plasma density and plasma flows, possibly associated with magnetic reconnection. We have studied the plasma waves observed on three distinct magnetopause passes distinguished by the presence of these oscillations of the PWI receivers, and we report on the data obtained near, but not during, the times of the oscillations and the possible role of these waves in magnetic reconnection. Sweep-frequency receiver and high-resolution waveform data for some of these times are presented. The plasma wave measurements on each of the passes are characterized by turbulence. The most stable waves are whistler mode emissions typically of several hundred hertz that are seen intermittently in these regions. The data indicate the presence of impulsive solitary-like wave structures with strong electric fields both parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field near, but not always within, suspected reconnection sites. The solitary waves show the highest occurrence when observed with electrostatic electron cyclotron waves. These latter waves have been observed in the past in the cusp, polar magnetosphere, and auroral regions and therefore may represent excursions into the cusp, but also indicate the presence of low-energy electron beams. Turbulence near the lower hybrid frequency, low-frequency EM waves, and impulsive monopolar electrostatic pulses are seen throughout the magnetopause and particularly near regions of large decrease in the local magnetic field and enhanced field-aligned flows, the suspected reconnection sites. The absence of significant solitary wave signatures within suspected reconnection sites may require modifications to some reconnection models.  相似文献   

Dependence of the magnetopause position on the southward interplanetary magnetic field     

Kiyoshi Maezawa 《Planetary and Space Science》1974,22(10):1443-1453

The distance to the dayside magnetopause is statistically analyzed in order to detect the possible dependence of the dayside magnetic flux on the polarity of the interplanetary magnetic field. The effect of changing solar wind pressure is eliminated by normalizing the observed magnetopause distances by the simultaneous solar wind pressure data. It is confirmed that the normalized size of the dayside magnetosphere at the time of southward interplanetary magnetic field is smaller than that at the time of northward interplanetary magnetic field. The difference in the magnetopause position between the two interplanetary field polarity conditions ranges from 0 to 2R_E. Statistics of the relation between the magnetopause distance and the magnetic field intensity just inside the magnetopause testifies that the difference in the magnetopause position is not due to a difference in the magnetosheath plasma pressure. The effect of the southward interplanetary magnetic field is seen for all longitudes and latitudes investigated (|λ_GM|? 45°, |φ_SM|? 90°). These results strongly suggest that a part of the dayside magnetic flux is removed from the dayside at the time of southward interplanetary magnetic field.  相似文献