scholarly journals Magnetospheric mapping of the dayside UV auroral oval at Saturn using simultaneous HST images, Cassini IMF data, and a global magnetic field model

2011 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1233-1246 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. S. Belenkaya ◽  
S. W. H. Cowley ◽  
J. D. Nichols ◽  
M. S. Blokhina ◽  
V. V. Kalegaev
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Ring Current ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Outer Boundary ◽  
Outer Part ◽  
Field Structure ◽  
Closed Field ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Outer Magnetosphere

Abstract. We determine the field-aligned mapping of Saturn's auroras into the magnetosphere by combining UV images of the southern dayside oval obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) with a global model of the magnetospheric magnetic field. The model is tailored to simulate prevailing conditions in the interplanetary medium, corresponding to high solar wind dynamic pressure and variable interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength and direction determined from suitably lagged field data observed just upstream of Saturn's dayside bow shock by the Cassini spacecraft. Two out of four images obtained in February 2008 when such simultaneous data are available are examined in detail, exemplifying conditions for northward and southward IMF. The model field structure in the outer magnetosphere and tail is found to be very different in these cases. Nevertheless, the dayside UV oval is found to have a consistent location relative to the field structure in each case. The poleward boundary of the oval is located close to the open-closed field boundary and thus maps to the vicinity of the magnetopause, consistent with previous results. The equatorward boundary of the oval then maps typically near the outer boundary of the equatorial ring current appropriate to the compressed conditions prevailing. Similar results are also found for related images from the January 2004 HST data set. These new results thus show that the mapped dayside UV oval typically spans the outer magnetosphere between the outer part of the ring current and the magnetopause. It does not encompass the region of primary corotation flow breakdown within the inner Enceladus torus.

scholarly journals Magnetospheric magnetic field modelling for the 2011 and 2012 HST Saturn aurora campaigns – implications for auroral source regions

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 689-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. S. Belenkaya ◽  
S. W. H. Cowley ◽  
C. J. Meredith ◽  
J. D. Nichols ◽  
V. V. Kalegaev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Ring Current ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
Current System ◽  
Outer Edge ◽  
Local Times ◽  
Closed Field ◽  
Principal Connection ◽  
Magnetic Field Model ◽  
Field Lines

Abstract. A unique set of images of Saturn's northern polar UV aurora was obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2011 and 2012 at times when the Cassini spacecraft was located in the solar wind just upstream of Saturn's bow shock. This rare situation provides an opportunity to use the Kronian paraboloid magnetic field model to examine source locations of the bright auroral features by mapping them along field lines into the magnetosphere, taking account of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) measured near simultaneously by Cassini. It is found that the persistent dawn arc maps to closed field lines in the dawn to noon sector, with an equatorward edge generally located in the inner part of the ring current, typically at ~ 7 Saturn radii (RS) near dawn, and a poleward edge that maps variously between the centre of the ring current and beyond its outer edge at ~ 15 RS, depending on the latitudinal width of the arc. This location, together with a lack of response in properties to the concurrent IMF, suggests a principal connection with ring-current and nightside processes. The higher-latitude patchy auroras observed intermittently near to noon and at later local times extending towards dusk are instead found to straddle the model open–closed field boundary, thus mapping along field lines to the dayside outer magnetosphere and magnetopause. These emissions, which occur preferentially for northward IMF directions, are thus likely associated with reconnection and open-flux production at the magnetopause. One image for southward IMF also exhibits a prominent patch of very high latitude emissions extending poleward of patchy dawn arc emissions in the pre-noon sector. This is found to lie centrally within the region of open model field lines, suggesting an origin in the current system associated with lobe reconnection, similar to that observed in the terrestrial magnetosphere for northward IMF.

scholarly journals IMF dependence of the open-closed field line boundary in Saturn's ionosphere, and its relation to the UV auroral oval observed by the Hubble Space Telescope

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 1215-1226 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. S. Belenkaya ◽  
I. I. Alexeev ◽  
M. S. Blokhina ◽  
S. W. H. Cowley ◽  
S. V. Badman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Field Line ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
Auroral Oval ◽  
Field Structure ◽  
Closed Field ◽  
Space Telescope ◽  
Magnetic Field Structure ◽  
Open Field Line ◽  
Closed Field Line

Abstract. We study the dependence of Saturn's magnetospheric magnetic field structure on the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), together with the corresponding variations of the open-closed field line boundary in the ionosphere. Specifically we investigate the interval from 8 to 30 January 2004, when UV images of Saturn's southern aurora were obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and simultaneous interplanetary measurements were provided by the Cassini spacecraft located near the ecliptic ~0.2 AU upstream of Saturn and ~0.5 AU off the planet-Sun line towards dawn. Using the paraboloid model of Saturn's magnetosphere, we calculate the magnetospheric magnetic field structure for several values of the IMF vector representative of interplanetary compression regions. Variations in the magnetic structure lead to different shapes and areas of the open field line region in the ionosphere. Comparison with the HST auroral images shows that the area of the computed open flux region is generally comparable to that enclosed by the auroral oval, and sometimes agrees in detail with its poleward boundary, though more typically being displaced by a few degrees in the tailward direction.

scholarly journals Impact of solar wind depression on the dayside magnetosphere under northward interplanetary magnetic field

2011 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Baraka ◽  
L. Ben-Jaffel
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Interplanetary Magnetic Field ◽  
Cell Model ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Outer Boundary ◽  
Solar Wind Plasma ◽  
Tail Region ◽  
Dayside Magnetopause

Abstract. We present a follow up study of the sensitivity of the Earth's magnetosphere to solar wind activity using a particles-in-cell model (Baraka and Ben Jaffel, 2007), but here during northward Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF). The formation of the magnetospheric cavity and its elongation around the planet is obtained with the classical structure of a magnetosphere with parallel lobes. An impulsive disturbance is then applied to the system by changing the bulk velocity of the solar wind to simulate a decrease in the solar wind dynamic pressure followed by its recovery. In response to the imposed drop in the solar wind velocity, a gap (abrupt depression) in the incoming solar wind plasma appears moving toward the Earth. The gap's size is a ~15 RE and is comparable to the sizes previously obtained for both Bz<0 and Bz=0. During the initial phase of the disturbance along the x-axis, the dayside magnetopause (MP) expands slower than the previous cases of IMF orientations as a result of the abrupt depression. The size of the MP expands nonlinearly due to strengthening of its outer boundary by the northward IMF. Also, during the initial 100 Δt, the MP shrank down from 13.3 RE to ~9.2 RE before it started expanding, a phenomenon that was also observed for southern IMF conditions but not during the no IMF case. As soon as they felt the solar wind depression, cusps widened at high altitude while dragged in an upright position. For the field's topology, the reconnection between magnetospheric and magnetosheath fields is clearly observed in both the northward and southward cusps areas. Also, the tail region in the northward IMF condition is more confined, in contrast to the fishtail-shape obtained in the southward IMF case. An X-point is formed in the tail at ~110 RE compared to ~103 RE and ~80 RE for Bz=0 and Bz<0, respectively. Our findings are consistent with existing reports from many space observatories (Cluster, Geotail, Themis, etc.) for which predictions are proposed to test furthermore our simulation technique.

scholarly journals Azimuthally asymmetric ring current as a function of <i>D<sub>st</sub></i> and solar wind conditions

2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 2989-2996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. P. Maltsev ◽  
A. A. Ostapenko
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Interplanetary Magnetic Field ◽  
Ring Current ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Magnetic Data ◽  
Under Five ◽  
Solar Wind Parameters

Abstract. Based on magnetic data, spatial distribution of the westward ring current flowing at |z|<3 RE has been found under five levels of Dst, five levels of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) z component, and five levels of the solar wind dynamic pressure Psw. The maximum of the current is located near midnight at distances 5 to 7 RE. The magnitude of the nightside and dayside parts of the westward current at distances from 4 to 9 RE can be approximated as Inight=1.75-0.041 Dst, Inoon=0.22-0.013 Dst, where the current is in MA. The relation of the nightside current to the solar wind parameters can be expressed as Inight=1.45-0.20 Bs IMF + 0.32 Psw, where BsIMF is the IMF southward component. The dayside ring current poorly correlates with the solar wind parameters.

scholarly journals Magnetopause energy and mass transfer: results from a global MHD simulation

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
pp. 3467-3480 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Palmroth ◽  
T. V. Laitinen ◽  
T. I. Pulkkinen
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Energy Transfer ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Solar Wind Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Closed Field ◽  
Dayside Magnetopause ◽  
Solar Wind Parameters ◽  
The Imf

Abstract. We use the global MHD model GUMICS-4 to investigate the energy and mass transfer through the magnetopause and towards the closed magnetic field as a response to the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) clock angle θ=arctan (BY/BZ), IMF magnitude, and solar wind dynamic pressure. We find that the mass and energy transfer at the magnetopause are different both in spatial characteristics and in response to changes in the solar wind parameters. The energy transfer follows best the sin2 (θ/2) dependence, although there is more energy transfer after large energy input, and the reconnection line follows the IMF rotation with a delay. There is no clear clock angle dependence in the net mass transfer through the magnetopause, but the mass transfer through the dayside magnetopause and towards the closed field occurs preferably for northward IMF. The energy transfer occurs through areas at the magnetopause that are perpendicular to the subsolar reconnection line. In contrast, the mass transfer occurs consistently along the reconnection line, both through the magnetopause and towards the closed field. Both the energy and mass transfer are enhanced in response to increased solar wind dynamic pressure, while increasing the IMF magnitude does not affect the transfer quantities as much.

SUPERSUBSTORM ON 28 MAY 2011 – GEOMAGNETIC EFFECTS IN THE GLOBAL SCALE

2021 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 12-15
Author(s):  
I.V. Despirak ◽  
◽  
N.G. Kleimenova ◽  
A.A. Lubchich ◽  
P.V. Setsko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Solar Wind ◽  
Ring Current ◽  
Magnetic Measurements ◽  
Magnetic Cloud ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Strong Magnetic Storm ◽  
Evening Sector ◽  
Typical Scenario

For this analysis, we selected the supersubstorm (SSS) occurred during the strong magnetic storm on 28 May 2011 (SYM/H~100 nT). The ground-based magnetic effects of SSS have been studied basing on the data from the global SuperMAG, INTERMAGNET and IMAGE magnetometer networks, as well as on the magnetic measurements by the ionospheric satellite AMPERE system. According to the SML- index behavior, the SSS event maximum was identified at ~09:00 UT on 28 May 2011 (SML= ~-2600 nT). The SSS occurred during the passage of the magnetic cloud in the solar wind. Before the SSS, the BZ component of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) was negative, the IMF BY component was positive, and the local jump in the solar wind dynamic pressure was registered. We found that the SSS developed in the magnetosphere in the global scale. A strong westward electrojet was observed at auroral latitudes from the evening side to the dayside. In contrast to the typical scenario of a classical substorm, a very intense eastward electrojet was detected in the afternoon-evening sector. That may be a result of the formation of an additional partial ring current during the supersubstorm.

scholarly journals Modelling of the ring current in Saturn's magnetosphere

2004 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 653-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Giampieri ◽  
M. K. Dougherty
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Ring Current ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Equatorial Current ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Current Systems ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Abstract. The existence of a ring current inside Saturn's magnetosphere was first suggested by Smith et al. (1980) and Ness et al. (1981, 1982), in order to explain various features in the magnetic field observations from the Pioneer 11 and Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft. Connerney et al. (1983) formalized the equatorial current model, based on previous modelling work of Jupiter's current sheet and estimated its parameters from the two Voyager data sets. Here, we investigate the model further, by reconsidering the data from the two Voyager spacecraft, as well as including the Pioneer 11 flyby data set. First, we obtain, in closed form, an analytic expression for the magnetic field produced by the ring current. We then fit the model to the external field, that is the difference between the observed field and the internal magnetic field, considering all the available data. In general, through our global fit we obtain more accurate parameters, compared to previous models. We point out differences between the model's parameters for the three flybys, and also investigate possible deviations from the axial and planar symmetries assumed in the model. We conclude that an accurate modelling of the Saturnian disk current will require taking into account both of the temporal variations related to the condition of the magnetosphere, as well as non-axisymmetric contributions due to local time effects. Key words. Magnetospheric physics (current systems; planetary magnetospheres; plasma sheet)

scholarly journals Auroral current systems in Saturn's magnetosphere: comparison of theoretical models with Cassini and HST observations

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 2613-2630 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. W. H. Cowley ◽  
C. S. Arridge ◽  
E. J. Bunce ◽  
J. T. Clarke ◽  
A. J. Coates ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Auroral Oval ◽  
Closed Field ◽  
Current Layer ◽  
Flow Shear ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Magnetic Perturbations ◽  
Field Aligned Current ◽  
Field Lines

Abstract. The first simultaneous observations of fields and plasmas in Saturn's high-latitude magnetosphere and UV images of the conjugate auroral oval were obtained by the Cassini spacecraft and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in January 2007. These data have shown that the southern auroral oval near noon maps to the dayside cusp boundary between open and closed field lines, associated with a major layer of upward-directed field-aligned current (Bunce et al., 2008). The results thus support earlier theoretical discussion and quantitative modelling of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling at Saturn (Cowley et al., 2004), that suggests the oval is produced by electron acceleration in the field-aligned current layer required by rotational flow shear between strongly sub-corotating flow on open field lines and near-corotating flow on closed field lines. Here we quantitatively compare these modelling results (the "CBO" model) with the Cassini-HST data set. The comparison shows good qualitative agreement between model and data, the principal difference being that the model currents are too small by factors of about five, as determined from the magnetic perturbations observed by Cassini. This is suggested to be principally indicative of a more highly conducting summer southern ionosphere than was assumed in the CBO model. A revised model is therefore proposed in which the height-integrated ionospheric Pedersen conductivity is increased by a factor of four from 1 to 4 mho, together with more minor adjustments to the co-latitude of the boundary, the flow shear across it, the width of the current layer, and the properties of the source electrons. It is shown that the revised model agrees well with the combined Cassini-HST data, requiring downward acceleration of outer magnetosphere electrons through a ~10 kV potential in the current layer at the open-closed field line boundary to produce an auroral oval of ~1° width with UV emission intensities of a few tens of kR.

scholarly journals IMF dependence of Saturn's auroras: modelling study of HST and Cassini data from 12–15 February 2008

2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 1559-1570 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. S. Belenkaya ◽  
I. I. Alexeev ◽  
M. S. Blokhina ◽  
E. J. Bunce ◽  
S. W. H. Cowley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Field Line ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
Auroral Oval ◽  
Closed Field ◽  
Propagation Delays ◽  
Magnetic Field Model ◽  
Closed Field Line ◽  
Orbit Insertion ◽  
The Imf

Abstract. To gain better understanding of auroral processes in Saturn's magnetosphere, we compare ultraviolet (UV) auroral images obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) with the position of the open-closed field line boundary in the ionosphere calculated using a magnetic field model that employs Cassini measurements of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) as input. Following earlier related studies of pre-orbit insertion data from January 2004 when Cassini was located ~ 1300 Saturn radii away from the planet, here we investigate the interval 12–15 February 2008, when UV images of Saturn's southern dayside aurora were obtained by the HST while the Cassini spacecraft measured the IMF in the solar wind just upstream of the dayside bow shock. This configuration thus provides an opportunity, unique to date, to determine the IMF impinging on Saturn's magnetosphere during imaging observations, without the need to take account of extended and uncertain interplanetary propagation delays. The paraboloid model of Saturn's magnetosphere is then employed to calculate the magnetospheric magnetic field structure and ionospheric open-closed field line boundary for averaged IMF vectors that correspond, with appropriate response delays, to four HST images. We show that the IMF-dependent open field region calculated from the model agrees reasonably well with the area lying poleward of the UV emissions, thus supporting the view that the poleward boundary of Saturn's auroral oval in the dayside ionosphere lies adjacent to the open-closed field line boundary.

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