Resistive evolution of toroidal field distributions and their relation to magnetic clouds

We study the resistive evolution of a localized self-organizing magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium. In this configuration the magnetic forces are balanced by a pressure force caused by a toroidal depression in the pressure. Equilibrium is attained when this low-pressure region prevents further expansion into the higher-pressure external plasma. We find that, for the parameters investigated, the resistive evolution of the structures follows a universal pattern when rescaled to resistive time. The finite resistivity causes both a decrease in the magnetic field strength and a finite slip of the plasma fluid against the static equilibrium. This slip is caused by a Pfirsch–Schlüter-type diffusion, similar to what is seen in tokamak equilibria. The net effect is that the configuration remains in magnetostatic equilibrium whilst it slowly grows in size. The rotational transform of the structure becomes nearly constant throughout the entire structure, and decreases according to a power law. In simulations this equilibrium is observed when highly tangled field lines relax in a high-pressure (relative to the magnetic field strength) environment, a situation that occurs when the twisted field of a coronal loop is ejected into the interplanetary solar wind. In this paper we relate this localized magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium to magnetic clouds in the solar wind.

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Cassini observations of magnetic holes in the solar wind and Saturn magnetosheath

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-100 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Tomas Karlsson ◽

Lina Hadid ◽

Michiko Morooka ◽

Jan-Erik Wahlund

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Field Strength ◽

Magnetic Field Strength ◽

High Time Resolution ◽

Magnetic Field Direction ◽

Scale Size ◽

Background Magnetic Field ◽

Cycle Dependence ◽

The Magnetic Field

We present the first Cassini observations of magnetic holes on the near-Saturn solar wind and magnetosheath, based on data from the MAG magnetometer. We conclude that magnetic holes (defined as isolated decreases of at least 50% compared to the background magnetic field strength) are common in both regions. We present statistical properties of the magnetic holes, including scale size, depth of the magnetic field reduction, orientation, change in magnetic field direction over the holes, and solar cycle dependence. For magnetosheath magnetic holes, also high-time resolution density measurements from the LP Langmuir probe are available, allowing us to study the anti-correlation of density and magnetic field strength in the magnetic holes. We compare to recent results from MESSENGER observations from Mercury orbit, and finally discuss the possible importance of magnetic holes in solar wind-magnetosphere interaction at Saturn.

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Predicting geo-effectiveness of CMEs using a novel 3D CME model FRi3D integrated into EUHFORIA

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-11605 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Stefaan Poedts ◽

Anwesha Maharana ◽

Camilla Scolini ◽

Alexey Isavnin

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Field Strength ◽

Magnetic Field Strength ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Flux Rope ◽

Future Perspective ◽

The European Union ◽

Horizon 2020 ◽

The Magnetic Field

Previous studies of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) have shown the importance of understanding their geometrical structure and internal magnetic field configuration for improving forecasting at Earth. The precise prediction of the CME shock and the magnetic cloud arrival time, their magnetic field strength and the orientation upon impact at Earth is still challenging and relies on solar wind and CME evolution models and precise input parameters. In order to understand the propagation of CMEs in the interplanetary medium, we need to understand their interaction with the complex features in the magnetized background solar wind which deforms, deflects and erodes the CMEs and determines their geo-effectiveness. Hence, it is important to model the internal magnetic flux-rope structure in the CMEs as they interact with CIRs/SIRs, other CMEs and solar transients in the heliosphere. The spheromak model (Verbeke et al. 2019) in the heliospheric wind and CME evolution simulation EUHFORIA (Pomoell and Poedts, 2018), fits well with the data near the CME nose close to its axis but fails to predict the magnetic field in CME legs when these impact Earth (Scolini et al. 2019). Therefore, we implemented the FRi3D stretched flux-rope CME model (Isavnin, 2016) in EUHFORIA to model a more realistic CME geometry. Fri3D captures the three-dimensional magnetic field structure with parameters like skewing, pancaking and flattening that quantify deformations experienced by an interplanetary CME. We perform test runs of real CME events and validate the ability of FRi3D coupled with EUHFORIA in predicting the CME geo-effectiveness. We have modeled two real events with FRi3D. First, a CME event on 12 July 2012 which was a head-on encounter at Earth. Second, the flank CME encounter of 14 June 2012 which did not leave any magnetic field signature at Earth when modeled with Spheromak. We compare our results with the results from non-magnetized cone simulations and magnetized simulations employing the spheromak flux-rope model. We further discuss how constraining observational parameters using the stretched flux rope CME geometry in FRi3D affects the prediction of the magnetic field strength in our simulations, highlighting improvements and discussing future perspective.This research has received funding from the European Union&#8217;s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 870405 (EUHFORIA 2.0)

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Direct construction of optimized stellarator shapes. Part 1. Theory in cylindrical coordinates

Journal of Plasma Physics ◽

10.1017/s0022377818001289 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 84 (6) ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Matt Landreman ◽

Wrick Sengupta

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Field Strength ◽

Magnetic Field Strength ◽

Interesting Case ◽

Magnetic Axis ◽

Surface Shape ◽

Cylindrical Coordinates ◽

Direct Construction ◽

Rotational Transform ◽

The Magnetic Field

The confinement of the guiding-centre trajectories in a stellarator is determined by the variation of the magnetic field strength $B$ in Boozer coordinates $(r,\unicode[STIX]{x1D703},\unicode[STIX]{x1D711})$, but $B(r,\unicode[STIX]{x1D703},\unicode[STIX]{x1D711})$ depends on the flux surface shape in a complicated way. Here we derive equations relating $B(r,\unicode[STIX]{x1D703},\unicode[STIX]{x1D711})$ in Boozer coordinates and the rotational transform to the shape of flux surfaces in cylindrical coordinates, using an expansion in distance from the magnetic axis. A related expansion was done by Garren and Boozer (Phys. Fluids B, vol. 3, 1991a, 2805) based on the Frenet–Serret frame, which can be discontinuous anywhere the magnetic axis is straight, a situation that occurs in the interesting case of omnigenity with poloidally closed $B$ contours. Our calculation in contrast does not use the Frenet–Serret frame. The transformation between the Garren–Boozer approach and cylindrical coordinates is derived, and the two approaches are shown to be equivalent if the axis curvature does not vanish. The expressions derived here help enable optimized plasma shapes to be constructed that can be provided as input to VMEC and other stellarator codes, or to generate initial configurations for conventional stellarator optimization.

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Asymmetries in the Earth's dayside magnetosheath: results from global hybrid-Vlasov simulations

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-9211 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Lucile Turc ◽

Vertti Tarvus ◽

Andrew Dimmock ◽

Markus Battarbee ◽

Urs Ganse ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Mach Number ◽

Field Strength ◽

Flow Velocity ◽

Magnetic Field Strength ◽

Bow Shock ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Magnetic Field ◽

The Imf

The magnetosheath is the region bounded by the bow shock and the magnetopause which is home to shocked solar wind plasma. At the interface between the solar wind and the magnetosphere, the magnetosheath plays a key role in the coupling between these two media. Previous works have revealed pronounced dawn-dusk asymmetries in the magnetosheath properties, with for example the magnetic field strength and flow velocity being larger on the dusk side, while the plasma is denser, hotter and more turbulent on the dawn side. The dependence of these asymmetries on the upstream parameters remains however largely unknown. One of the main sources of these asymmetries is the bow shock configuration, which is typically quasi-parallel on the dawn side and quasi-perpendicular on the dusk side of the terrestrial magnetosheath because of the Parker-spiral orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) at Earth. Most of these previous studies rely on collections of spacecraft measurements associated with a wide range of upstream conditions that have been processed to obtain the average values of the magnetosheath parameters. In this work, we use a different approach and quantify the magnetosheath asymmetries in global hybrid-Vlasov simulations performed with the Vlasiator model. We concentrate on three parameters: the magnetic field strength, the plasma density and the flow velocity. We find that the Vlasiator model reproduces accurately the polarity of the asymmetries, but that their level tends to be higher than in spacecraft measurements, probably due to the different processing methods. We investigate how the asymmetries change when the IMF becomes more radial and when the Alfv&#233;n Mach number decreases. When the IMF makes a 30&#176; angle with the Sun-Earth line instead of 45&#176;, we find a stronger magnetic field asymmetry and a larger variability of the magnetosheath density. In contrast, a lower Alfv&#233;n Mach number leads to a decrease of the magnetic field asymmetry level and of the variability of the magnetosheath density and velocity, likely due to weaker foreshock processes.

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Linear dust polarization during the embedded phase of protostar formation

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/202038111 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 639 ◽

pp. A137 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. Kuffmeier ◽

S. Reissl ◽

S. Wolf ◽

I. Stephens ◽

H. Calcutt

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Field Strength ◽

Magnetic Field Strength ◽

Dust Emission ◽

Field Structure ◽

Magnetic Field Structure ◽

Complex Morphology ◽

Field Lines ◽

Ideal Magnetohydrodynamic ◽

The Magnetic Field

Context. Measuring polarization from thermal dust emission can provide important constraints on the magnetic field structure around embedded protostars. However, interpreting the observations is challenging without models that consistently account for both the complexity of the turbulent protostellar birth environment and polarization mechanisms. Aims. We aim to provide a better understanding of dust polarization maps of embedded protostars with a focus on bridge-like structures such as the structure observed toward the protostellar multiple system IRAS 16293–2422 by comparing synthetic polarization maps of thermal reemission with recent observations. Methods. We analyzed the magnetic field morphology and properties associated with the formation of a protostellar multiple based on ideal magnetohydrodynamic 3D zoom-in simulations carried out with the RAMSES code. To compare the models with observations, we postprocessed a snapshot of a bridge-like structure that is associated with a forming triple star system with the radiative transfer code POLARIS and produced multiwavelength dust polarization maps. Results. The typical density in the most prominent bridge of our sample is about 10−16 g cm−3, and the magnetic field strength in the bridge is about 1 to 2 mG. Inside the bridge, the magnetic field structure has an elongated toroidal morphology, and the dust polarization maps trace the complex morphology. In contrast, the magnetic field strength associated with the launching of asymmetric bipolar outflows is significantly more magnetized (~100 mG). At λ = 1.3 mm, and the orientation of the grains in the bridge is very similar for the case accounting for radiative alignment torques (RATs) compared to perfect alignment with magnetic field lines. However, the polarization fraction in the bridge is three times smaller for the RAT scenario than when perfect alignment is assumed. At shorter wavelength (λ ≲ 200 μm), however, dust polarization does not trace the magnetic field because other effects such as self-scattering and dichroic extinction dominate the orientation of the polarization. Conclusions. Compared to the launching region of protostellar outflows, the magnetic field in bridge-like structures is weak. Synthetic dust polarization maps of ALMA Bands 6 and 7 (1.3 mm and 870 μm, respectively) can be used as a tracer of the complex morphology of elongated toroidal magnetic fields associated with bridges.

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Linear prediction studies for the solar wind and Saturn kilometric radiation

Annales Geophysicae ◽

10.5194/angeo-24-3139-2006 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 24 (11) ◽

pp. 3139-3150 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

U. Taubenschuss ◽

H. O. Rucker ◽

W. S. Kurth ◽

B. Cecconi ◽

P. Zarka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Field Strength ◽

Magnetic Field Strength ◽

Linear Prediction ◽

Lag Time ◽

Bulk Velocity ◽

Time Profiles ◽

Ram Pressure ◽

The Magnetic Field

Abstract. The external control of Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) by the solar wind has been investigated in the frame of the Linear Prediction Theory (LPT). The LPT establishes a linear filter function on the basis of correlations between input signals, i.e. time profiles for solar wind parameters, and output signals, i.e. time profiles for SKR intensity. Three different experiments onboard the Cassini spacecraft (RPWS, MAG and CAPS) yield appropriate data sets for compiling the various input and output signals. The time period investigated ranges from DOY 202 to 326, 2004 and is only limited due to limited availability of CAPS plasma data for the solar wind. During this time Cassini was positioned mainly on the morning side on its orbit around Saturn at low southern latitudes. Four basic solar wind quantities have been found to exert a clear influence on the SKR intensity profile. These quantities are: the solar wind bulk velocity, the solar wind ram pressure, the magnetic field strength of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and the y-component of the IMF. All four inputs exhibit nearly the same level of efficiency for the linear prediction indicating that all four inputs are possible drivers for triggering SKR. Furthermore, they act at completely different lag times ranging from ~13 h for the ram pressure to ~52 h for the bulk velocity. The lag time for the magnetic field strength is usually beyond ~40 h and the lag time for the y-component of the magnetic field is located around 30 h. Considering that all four solar wind quantities are interrelated in a corotating interaction region, only the influence of the ram pressure seems to be of reasonable relevance. An increase in ram pressure causes a substantial compression of Saturn's magnetosphere leading to tail collapse, injection of hot plasma from the tail into the outer magnetosphere and finally to an intensification of auroral dynamics and SKR emission. So, after the onset of magnetospheric compression at least ~1.2 rotations of the planet elapse until intensified SKR emission is visible in a Cassini-RPWS dynamic spectrum.

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Asymmetric reconnection at the bow shock

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-4750 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Herbert Gunell ◽

Maria Hamrin ◽

Oleksandr Goncharov ◽

Alexandre De Spiegeleer ◽

Stephen Fuselier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Field Strength ◽

Magnetic Field Strength ◽

Plasma Flow ◽

Bow Shock ◽

The Other ◽

Magnetospheric Multiscale ◽

The Magnetic Field

Can reconnection be triggered as a directional discontinuity (DD) crosses the bow shock? Here we present some unique observations of asymmetric reconnection at a quasi-perpendicular bow shock as an interplanetary DD is crossing it simultaneously with the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. The data show indications of ongoing reconnection at the bow shock southward of the spacecraft. The DD is also observed by several upstream spacecraft (ACE, WIND, Geotail, and THEMIS B) and one downstream in the magnetosheath (Cluster 4), but none of them resolve signatures of ongoing reconnection. We therefore suggest that reconnection was temporarily triggered as the DD was compressed by the shock. Bow shock reconnection is inevitably asymmetric with both the density and the magnetic field strength being higher on one side of the X-line (the magneosheath side) than on the other side where the plasma flow also is supersonic (the solar wind side). Asymmetric reconnection of the bow shock type has never been studied before, and the data discussed here are hence unique.

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Interaction of Interplanetary Shocks with the Moon

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-5971 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Xiaoyan Zhou ◽

Nojan Omidi

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Field Strength ◽

Shock Front ◽

Magnetic Field Strength ◽

Interplanetary Shocks ◽

The Moon ◽

Energetic Ions ◽

The Core ◽

The Magnetic Field

In this presentation, we use data from THEMIS-ARTEMIS spacecraft and electromagnetic hybrid (kinetic ions, fluid electrons) simulations to describe the nature of the interaction between interplanetary shocks and the Moon. In the absence of a global magnetic field and an ionosphere at the Moon, solar wind interaction is controlled by (1) absorption of the core solar wind protons on the dayside; (2) access of supra-thermal and energetic ions in the solar wind to the lunar tail; (3) penetration and passage of the IMF through the lunar body. This results in a lunar tail populated by energetic ions and enhanced magnetic field in the central tail region. In general, ARTEMIS observations show a clear jump in the magnetic field strength associated with the passage of the interplanetary shock regardless of the position in the tail. Compared to the shock front observed in the solar wind, the magnetic field strength in the tail is stronger both upstream and downstream of the shock which is consistent with the expectations of larger field strengths in the tail. In addition, the transition from upstream to downstream magnetic field strength takes longer time as compared to the solar wind, indicating the broadening in space of the shock transition region. In contrast, plasma observations show that depending on the position of the spacecraft in the tail, a density enhancement in association with the shock front may or may not be observed. Using the observed solar wind conditions, we have used hybrid simulations to examine the interaction of interplanetary shocks with the Moon. The results indicate that by virtue of IMF passage through the lunar body, the magnetic field shock front also passes through the Moon and as such a jump in the magnetic field strength is observed throughout the lunar tail in association with the passage of the shock. As expected, the field strength in the upstream and downstream regions in the tail are larger than the corresponding values in the solar wind. In addition, the passage of the shock through the lunar tail is associated with the broadening of the shock front. The absorption of the core solar wind protons on the dayside introduces a density hole in the shock front as it passes through the Moon and the lunar tail and, as such, the shock front as a whole is disrupted. This hole is gradually filled with the ambient plasma while it travels further down the tail until eventually the shock front is fully restored a few lunar radii away from the Moon. The simulation results are found to be consistent with ARTEMIS observations. Here we also discuss the impacts of shock Mach number on the interaction. These results depict the lunar environment under transient solar wind conditions, which provide helpful information for the NASA&#8217;s plan to return humans to the Moon.

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Dynamic field line draping at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko during the Rosetta dayside excursion

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201935517 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 630 ◽

pp. A44

Author(s):

Martin Volwerk ◽

Charlotte Goetz ◽

Etienne Behar ◽

Magda Delva ◽

Niklas J. T. Edberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Field Strength ◽

Interplanetary Magnetic Field ◽

Field Line ◽

Magnetic Field Strength ◽

Cone Angle ◽

Dynamic Field ◽

Comet 67P ◽

The Magnetic Field

Context. The Rosetta dayside excursion took place in September–October 2015 when comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/CG) was located at ~1.36 AU from the Sun after it had passed perihelion on 13 August 2015 at ~1.25 AU. At this time, the comet was near its most active period, and its interaction with the solar wind was expected to be at its most intense, with ion pickup and magnetic field line draping. The dayside excursion was planned to move through different regions that were expected upstream of the cometary nucleus, and to possibly detect the location of the bow shock. Aims. The goal of this study is to describe the dynamic field line draping that takes place around the comet and the plasma processes that are connected to this. Methods. The data from the full Rosetta Plasma Consortium (RPC) were used to investigate the interaction of solar wind and comet, starting from boxcar-averaged magnetic field data in order to suppress high-frequency noise in the data. Through calculating the cone and clock angle of the magnetic field, we determined the draping pattern of the magnetic field around the nucleus of the comet. Then we studied the particle data in relation to the variations that are observed in the magnetic field. Results. During the dayside excursion, the magnetic field cone angle changed several times, which means that the magnetic field direction changes from pointing sunward to anti-sunward. This is caused by the changing directions of the interplanetary magnetic field that is transported toward the comet. The cone-angle direction shows that mass-loading of the interplanetary magnetic field of the solar wind leads to dynamic draping. The ion velocity and the magnetic field strength are correlated because the unmagnetized ions are accelerated more (less) strongly by the increasing (decreasing) magnetic field strength. There is an indication of an anticorrelation between the electron density and the magnetic field strength, which might be caused by the magnetized electrons being mirrored out of the strong field regions. The Rosetta RPC has shown that (dynamic) draping also occurs as mildly active comets, as was found at highly active comets such as 1P/Halley and 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, but also that determining both dynamic and nested draping will require a combination of fast flybys and slow excursions for future missions.

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On the Configuration of the Magnetic Field of β CrB

International Astronomical Union Colloquium ◽

10.1017/s0252921100080933 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 32 ◽

pp. 613-622

Author(s):

I.A. Aslanov ◽

Yu.S. Rustamov

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Field Strength ◽

Radial Velocity ◽

Magnetic Field Strength ◽

Complex Shape ◽

Rotation Period ◽

Field Variation ◽

Magnetic Field Variation ◽

Secular Variations ◽

The Magnetic Field

SummaryMeasurements of the radial velocities and magnetic field strength of β CrB were carried out. It is shown that there is a variability with the rotation period different for various elements. The curve of the magnetic field variation measured from lines of 5 different elements: FeI, CrI, CrII, TiII, ScII and CaI has a complex shape specific for each element. This may be due to the presence of magnetic spots on the stellar surface. A comparison with the radial velocity curves suggests the presence of a least 4 spots of Ti and Cr coinciding with magnetic spots. A change of the magnetic field with optical depth is shown. The curve of the Heffvariation with the rotation period is given. A possibility of secular variations of the magnetic field is shown.

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