scholarly journals MESSENGER observations of planetary ion enhancements at Mercury’s northern magnetospheric cusp during Flux Transfer Event Showers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weijie Sun ◽  
James Slavin ◽  
Anna Milillo ◽  
Ryan Dewey ◽  
Stefano Orsini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Transfer Event ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Flux Transfer ◽  
Magnetospheric Cusp ◽  
Upward Moving ◽  
Entry Layer

Abstract At Mercury, several processes can release ions and neutrals out of the planet’s surface. Here we present enhancements of dayside planetary ions in the solar wind entry layer during flux transfer event (FTE) “showers” near Mercury’s northern magnetospheric cusp. In this entry layer, solar wind ions are accelerated and move downward (i.e. planetward) toward the cusps, which sputter upward-moving planetary ions within 1 minute. The precipitation rate is enhanced by an order of magnitude during FTE showers and the neutral density of the exosphere can vary by >10% due to this FTE-driven sputtering. These in situ observations of enhanced planetary ions in the entry layer likely correspond to an escape channel of Mercury’s planetary ions, and the large-scale variations of the exosphere observed on minute-timescales by ground-based telescopes. Comprehensive, future multi-point measurements made by BepiColombo will greatly enhance our understanding of the processes contributing to Mercury’s dynamic exosphere and magnetosphere.

scholarly journals ROMA (Rank-Ordered Multifractal Analyses) of intermittency in space plasmas – a brief tutorial review

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 545-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Chang ◽  
C. C. Wu ◽  
J. Podesta ◽  
M. Echim ◽  
H. Lamy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Auroral Zone ◽  
Space Plasmas ◽  
Dynamic Interactions ◽  
Stochastic Media ◽  
Mhd Simulations ◽  
Field Fluctuations ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Magnetospheric Cusp

Abstract. Intermittent fluctuations are the consequence of the dynamic interactions of multiple coherent or pseudo-coherent structures of varied sizes in the stochastic media (Chang, 1999). We briefly review here a recently developed technique, the Rank-Ordered Multifractal Analysis (ROMA), which is both physically explicable and quantitatively accurate in deciphering the multifractal characteristics of such intermittent structures (Chang and Wu, 2008). The utility of the method is demonstrated using results obtained from large-scale 2-D MHD simulations as well as in-situ observations of magnetic field fluctuations from the interplanetary and magnetospheric cusp regions, and the broadband electric field oscillations from the auroral zone.

Solar wind radial evolution via future multi-spacecraft in-situ observations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Štěpán Štverák ◽  
Milan Maksimovic ◽  
Petr Hellinger ◽  
Pavel M. Trávníček
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Solar Wind Plasma ◽  
Future Events ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Radial Evolution ◽  
The Individual

<p>Our understanding of the solar wind evolution, its energy budget, and role of the key mechanisms providing the energy exchange between the plasma particles and electromagnetic fluctuations along the expansion, is highly limited by the single point nature of most in situ spacecraft measurements. Obviously it is difficult to observe and track the individual processes in space and time from this narrow perspective. One way to improve our knowledge of these large-scale variations is to employ multi-spacecraft observations, namely rather rare so called line-up events where one can potentially observe the true evolution of individual solar wind plasma parcels. A pioneering work in this field was done using Helios I&II missions. Here we present an analyses of using such tool for future events predicted to be available from the very recent missions Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter (and optionally BepiColombo).</p>

Prospective White-light Imaging and In Situ Measurements of Quiescent Large-scale Solar-wind Streams from the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter

2018 ◽  
Vol 868 (2) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Xiong ◽  
Jackie A. Davies ◽  
Xueshang Feng ◽  
Bo Li ◽  
Liping Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
White Light ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
In Situ Measurements ◽  
White Light Imaging

Dayside Magnetopause Reconnection and Flux Transfer Events: BepiColombo Earth-Flyby

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Jie Sun ◽  
James Slavin ◽  
Rumi Nakamura ◽  
Daniel Heyner ◽  
Johannes Mieth
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Flux Rope ◽  
Transfer Event ◽  
Flux Transfer Events ◽  
Space Agency ◽  
Flux Ropes ◽  
Flux Transfer ◽  
Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

<p>BepiColombo is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to the planet Mercury. The BepiColombo mission consists of two spacecraft, which are the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (Mio). The mission made its first planetary flyby, which is the only Earth flyby, on 10 April 2020, during which several instruments collected measurements. In this study, we analyze MPO magnetometer (MAG) observations of Flux Transfer Events (FTEs) in the magnetosheath and the structure of the subsolar magnetopause near the  flow stagnation point. The magnetosheath plasma beta was high with a value of ~ 8 and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) was southward with a clock angle that decreased from ~ 100 degrees to ~ 150 degrees.  As the draped IMF became increasingly southward several of the flux transfer event (FTE)-type flux ropes were observed. These FTEs traveled southward indicating that the magnetopause X-line was located northward of the spacecraft, which is consistent with a dawnward tilt of the IMF. Most of the FTE-type flux ropes were in ion-scale, <10 s duration, suggesting that they were newly formed. Only one large-scale FTE-type flux rope, ~ 20 s, was observed. It was made up of two successive bipolar signatures in the normal magnetic field component, which is evidence of coalescence at a secondary reconnection site. Further analysis demonstrated that the dimensionless reconnection rate of the re-reconnection associated with the coalescence site was ~ 0.14. While this investigation was limited to the MPO MAG observations, it strongly supports a key feature of dayside reconnection discovered in the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, the growth of FTE-type flux ropes through coalescence at secondary reconnection sites.</p>

scholarly journals Revisiting particle sizing using greyscale optical array probes: evaluation using laboratory experiments and synthetic data

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 3067-3079
Author(s):  
Sebastian J. O'Shea ◽  
Jonathan Crosier ◽  
James Dorsey ◽  
Waldemar Schledewitz ◽  
Ian Crawford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Models ◽  
Synthetic Data ◽  
Mie Scattering ◽  
Sample Volume ◽  
Research Aircraft ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Ambient Data ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Synthetic Datasets

Abstract. In situ observations from research aircraft and instrumented ground sites are important contributions to developing our collective understanding of clouds and are used to inform and validate numerical weather and climate models. Unfortunately, biases in these datasets may be present, which can limit their value. In this paper, we discuss artefacts which may bias data from a widely used family of instrumentation in the field of cloud physics, optical array probes (OAPs). Using laboratory and synthetic datasets, we demonstrate how greyscale analysis can be used to filter data, constraining the sample volume of the OAP and improving data quality, particularly at small sizes where OAP data are considered unreliable. We apply the new methodology to ambient data from two contrasting case studies: one warm cloud and one cirrus cloud. In both cases the new methodology reduces the concentration of small particles (<60 µm) by approximately an order of magnitude. This significantly improves agreement with a Mie-scattering spectrometer for the liquid case and with a holographic imaging probe for the cirrus case. Based on these results, we make specific recommendations to instrument manufacturers, instrument operators and data processors about the optimal use of greyscale OAPs. The data from monoscale OAPs are unreliable and should not be used for particle diameters below approximately 100 µm.

scholarly journals What Is the Impact of Additional Tropical Observations on a Modern Data Assimilation System?

2019 ◽  
Vol 147 (7) ◽  
pp. 2433-2449
Author(s):  
Laura C. Slivinski ◽  
Gilbert P. Compo ◽  
Jeffrey S. Whitaker ◽  
Prashant D. Sardeshmukh ◽  
Jih-Wang A. Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Mean Square ◽  
Observational Network ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Assimilation System

Abstract Given the network of satellite and aircraft observations around the globe, do additional in situ observations impact analyses within a global forecast system? Despite the dense observational network at many levels in the tropical troposphere, assimilating additional sounding observations taken in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean during the 2016 El Niño Rapid Response (ENRR) locally improves wind, temperature, and humidity 6-h forecasts using a modern assimilation system. Fields from a 50-km reanalysis that assimilates all available observations, including those taken during the ENRR, are compared with those from an otherwise-identical reanalysis that denies all ENRR observations. These observations reveal a bias in the 200-hPa divergence of the assimilating model during a strong El Niño. While the existing observational network partially corrects this bias, the ENRR observations provide a stronger mean correction in the analysis. Significant improvements in the mean-square fit of the first-guess fields to the assimilated ENRR observations demonstrate that they are valuable within the existing network. The effects of the ENRR observations are pronounced in levels of the troposphere that are sparsely observed, particularly 500–800 hPa. Assimilating ENRR observations has mixed effects on the mean-square difference with nearby non-ENRR observations. Using a similar system but with a higher-resolution forecast model yields comparable results to the lower-resolution system. These findings imply a limited improvement in large-scale forecast variability from additional in situ observations, but significant improvements in local 6-h forecasts.

scholarly journals Evidence for Particle Acceleration During Magnetospheric Substorms

1994 ◽  
Vol 142 ◽  
pp. 531-539
Author(s):  
Ramon E. Lopez ◽  
Daniel N. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Particle Acceleration ◽  
Energy Release ◽  
Acceleration Of Particles ◽  
Magnetospheric Substorms ◽  
Geomagnetic Tail ◽  
Dissipation Of Energy ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Current Systems

AbstractMagnetospheric substorms represent the episodic dissipation of energy stored in the geomagnetic tail that was previously extracted from the solar wind. This energy release produces activity throughout the entire magnetosphere-ionosphere system, and it results in a wide variety of phenomena such as auroral intensifications and the generation of new current systems. All of these phenomena involve the acceleration of particles, sometimes up to several MeV. In this paper we present a brief overview of substorm phenomenology. We then review some of the evidence for particle acceleration in Earth’s magnetosphere during substorms. Such in situ observations in this most accessible of all cosmic plasma domains may hold important clues to understanding acceleration processes in more distant astrophysical systems.Subject headings: acceleration of particles — Earth — solar wind

Large-scale electron solar wind parameters of the inner heliosphere with Parker Solar Probe/FIELDS

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine Issautier ◽  
Mingzhe Liu ◽  
Michel Moncuquet ◽  
Nicole Meyer-Vernet ◽  
Milan Maksimovic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Wind ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Statistical Study ◽  
Solar Wind Speed ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Solar Wind Parameters ◽  
Power Law Index ◽  
Probe Mission ◽  
Inner Heliosphere

&lt;p&gt;We present in situ properties of electron density and temperature in the inner heliosphere obtained during the three first solar encounters at 35 solar radii of the Parker Solar Probe mission. These preliminary results, recently shown by Moncuquet et al., ApJS, 2020, are obtained from the analysis of the plasma quasi-thermal noise (QTN) spectrum measured by the radio RFS/FIELDS instrument along the trajectories extending between 0.5 and 0.17 UA from the Sun, revealing different states of the emerging solar wind, five months apart. The temperature of the weakly collisional core population varies radially with a power law index of about -0.8, much slower than adiabatic, whereas the temperature of the supra-thermal population exhibits a much flatter radial variation, as expected from its nearly collisionless state. These measured temperatures are close to extrapolations towards the Sun of Helios measurements.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We also present a statistical study from these in situ electron solar wind parameters, deduced by QTN spectroscopy, and compare the data to other onboard measurements. In addition, we focus on the large-scale solar wind properties. In particular, from the invariance of the energy flux, a direct relation between the solar wind speed and its density can be deduced, as we have already obtained based on Wind continuous in situ measurements (Le Chat et al., Solar Phys., 2012). We study this anti-correlation during the three first solar encounters of PSP.&lt;/p&gt;

Evaluating model-simulated and satellite-derived SM using in situ observations under different environment conditions in China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanyuan Wang ◽  
Guicai Li
Keyword(s):  
Land Surface ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Microwave Remote Sensing ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Monitoring Networks ◽  
The Future ◽  
In Situ Observations

&lt;p&gt;Soil moisture (SM) is a key variable in understanding the climate system through its controls on the land surface energy and water budget. Large scale SM products have become increasingly available thanks to development in microwave remote sensing and land surface modeling. Comprehensive assessments on the reliability of satellite-derived and model-simulated SM products are essential for their improvement and application. In this research, the active, passive and combined Climate Change Initiative (CCI V04.2) SM products and the China Land Data Assimilation System (CLDAS V2.0) SM products were evaluated by comparing with in situ observed data over three networks in China: Hebi, Naqu and Heihe. The three sites have different environmental conditions and sensor densities, providing observations covering more than 2 years. Four statistic scores were calculated: &lt;em&gt;R&lt;/em&gt; (considering both original data and anomalies), &lt;em&gt;Bias&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;RMSE&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;ubRMSE&lt;/em&gt;. TC (Triple Collocation) analysis was also carried out in which uncertainties in observations are taken into account. Results indicate that the performance of the two SM products varies between the monitoring networks. For Naqu site, both products show good performance, with CCI-SM showing slightly higher &lt;em&gt;R&lt;/em&gt; and lower &lt;em&gt;ubRMSE&lt;/em&gt;. For Hebi site, CLDAS-SM performs better than CCI-SM, whereas for Heihe site, CLDAS-SM performs worse than CCI-SM. The expected uncertainty (0.04 m&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;/m&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;) can be achieved in Naqu and Heihe site by CCI-SM, and in Hebi and Naqu site by CLDAS-SM, which is quite encouraging. The two products agree in terms of sign of the &lt;em&gt;Bias&lt;/em&gt; value, which is positive in Hebi and negative in Naqu and Heihe. Among all the three networks, Heihe site exhibits the lowest accuracy due to its complicated terrain and heterogeneous land surface.&lt;em&gt; R&lt;sub&gt;anom&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/em&gt; of CLDAS-SM in Heihe is close to 0, indicating its inability to capture short term variability. TC results reveal that for Naqu site the observation data have quite good qualities, while for Hebi site CLDAS-SM is more approximate to &amp;#8216;ground truth&amp;#8217; than in situ observations, suggesting a refinement of network maybe needed in the future. Overall, the two products are complementary. CLDAS-SM performs better in populated area (e.g., Hebi) where meteorological forcing is more accurate and CCI-SM performs better in remote areas (Naqu, Heihe) where RFI is usually low. More reliable validation networks are needed in the future to comprehensively understand the advantages and disadvantage of the two SM products in China.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Validation of first chemistry mode retrieval results from new limb-<i>imaging</i> FTS GLORIA with correlative MIPAS-STR observations

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 12691-12717 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Woiwode ◽  
O. Suminska-Ebersoldt ◽  
H. Oelhaf ◽  
M. Höpfner ◽  
G. V. Belyaev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polar Vortex ◽  
Ongoing Work ◽  
First Results ◽  
Research Aircraft ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Field Deployment ◽  
Cross Track ◽  
Stratospheric Clouds

Abstract. We report first chemistry mode retrieval results from the new airborne limb-imaging infrared FTS (Fourier transform spectrometer) GLORIA and comparisons with observations by the conventional airborne limb-scanning infrared FTS MIPAS-STR. For GLORIA, the flights aboard the high-altitude research aircraft M55 Geophysica during the ESSenCe campaign (ESa Sounder Campaign 2011) were the very first in field deployment after several years of development. The simultaneous observations of GLORIA and MIPAS-STR during the flight on 16 December 2011 inside the polar vortex and under the conditions of optically partially transparent polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) provided us the unique opportunity to compare the observations by two different infrared FTS generations directly. The retrieval results of temperature, HNO3, O3, H2O, CFC-11 and CFC-12 show reasonable agreement of GLORIA with MIPAS-STR and collocated in-situ observations. For the horizontally binned hyperspectral limb-images, the GLORIA sampling outnumbered the horizontal cross-track sampling of MIPAS-STR by up to one order of magnitude. Depending on the target parameter, typical vertical resolutions of 0.5 to 2.0 km were obtained for GLORIA and are typically by factors of 2 to 4 better compared to MIPAS-STR. While the improvement of the performance, characterisation and data processing of GLORIA are subject of ongoing work, the presented first results already demonstrate the considerable gain in sampling and vertical resolution achieved with GLORIA.

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