On the relationship between energy input to the ionosphere and the ion outflow flux under different solar zenith angles

The ionosphere is one of the important sources for magnetospheric plasma, particularly for heavy ions with low charge states. We investigate the effect of solar illumination on the number flux of ion outflow using data obtained by the Fast Auroral SnapshoT (FAST) satellite at 3000–4150 km altitude from 7 January 1998 to 5 February 1999. We derive empirical formulas between energy inputs and outflowing ion number fluxes for various solar zenith angle ranges. We found that the outflowing ion number flux under sunlit conditions increases more steeply with increasing electron density in the loss cone or with increasing precipitating electron density (> 50 eV), compared to the ion flux under dark conditions. Under ionospheric dark conditions, weak electron precipitation can drive ion outflow with small averaged fluxes (~ 107 cm−2 s−1). The slopes of relations between the Poynting fluxes and outflowing ion number fluxes show no clear dependence on the solar zenith angle. Intense ion outflow events (> 108 cm−2 s−1) occur mostly under sunlit conditions (solar zenith angle < 90°). Thus, it is presumably difficult to drive intense ion outflows under dark conditions, because of a lack of the solar illumination (low ionospheric density and/or small scale height owing to low plasma temperature). Graphical abstract

The Evolution of Collisionless Magnetic Reconnection from Electron Scales to Ion Scales

It is generally accepted that collisionless magnetic reconnection is initiated on electron scales, which is mediated by electron kinetics. In this paper, by performing a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation, we investigate the transition of collisionless magnetic reconnection from electron scales to ion scales in a Harris current sheet with and without a guide field. The results show that after magnetic reconnection is triggered on electron scales, the electrons are first accelerated by the reconnection electric field around the X line, and then leave away along the outflow direction. In the Harris current sheet without a guide field, the electron outflow is symmetric and directed away from the X line along the center of the current sheet, while the existence of a guide field will distort the symmetry of the electron outflow. In both cases, the high-speed electron outflow is decelerated due to the existence of the magnetic field B z , then leading to the pileup of B z . With the increase of B z , the ions are accelerated by the Lorentz force in the outflow direction, and an ion outflow at about one Alfvén speed is at last formed. In this way, collisionless magnetic reconnection is transferred from the electron scales to the ion scales.

Electron-only Reconnection in an Ion-scale Current Sheet at the Magnetopause

In the standard model of magnetic reconnection, both ions and electrons couple to the newly reconnected magnetic field lines and are ejected away from the reconnection diffusion region in the form of bidirectional burst ion/electron jets. Recent observations propose a new model: electron-only magnetic reconnection without ion coupling in an electron-scale current sheet. Based on the data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, we observe a long-extension inner electron diffusion region (EDR) at least 40 d i away from the X-line at the Earth’s magnetopause, implying that the extension of EDR is much longer than the prediction of the theory and simulations. This inner EDR is embedded in an ion-scale current sheet (the width of ∼4 d i, d i is ion inertial length). However, such ongoing magnetic reconnection was not accompanied with burst ion outflow, implying the presence of electron-only reconnection in an ion-scale current sheet. Our observations present a new challenge for understanding the model of standard magnetic reconnection and the electron-only reconnection model in an electron-scale current sheet.

Solar zenith angle dependence of relationships between energy inputs to the ionosphere and ion outflow fluxes

The ionosphere is one of the important sources for magnetospheric plasma, particularly for heavy ions with low charge states. We investigate the effect of solar illumination on the number flux of ion outflow using data obtained by the Fast Auroral SnapshoT satellite at 3000–4150 km altitude from 7 January 1998 to 5 February 1999. We derive empirical formulas between energy inputs and outflowing ion number fluxes for various solar zenith angle ranges. We found that the outflowing ion number flux under sunlit conditions increases more steeply with increasing electron density in the loss cone or with increasing precipitating electron density (> 50 eV), compared with the ion flux under dark conditions. Under ionospheric dark conditions, weak electron precipitation can drive ion outflow with small averaged fluxes (~ 107 cm− 2 s− 1). The slopes of relations between the DC and Alfvén Poynting fluxes and outflowing ion number fluxes show no clear dependence on solar zenith angle. Intense ion outflow events (> 108 cm− 2 s− 1) occur mostly under sunlit conditions (solar zenith angle < 90°). Thus, it is presumably difficult to drive intense ion outflows under dark conditions, because of a lack of the solar illumination (low ionospheric density and/or small scale height owing to low plasma temperature).

On the Low Energy (< keV) O+ Ion Outflow directly into the Inner Magnetosphere

&lt;p&gt;The development of low energy (&lt; keV) O+ ions in the inner magnetosphere is a crucial issue for various aspects of magnetospheric dynamics: i) Recent studies have suggested that low energy O+ can be locally accelerated to few keV energies inside geosynchronous orbit, and thus can constitute a significant source of the storm-time ring current O+ that could dominate the energy density during storms, ii) Mass loaded densities are important for accurate location of the plasmapause, which, in turn, is necessary for meaningful calculation of the field line resonance radial frequency profiles of ULF hydromagnetic waves in plasmasphere, iii) since O+ is only of ionospheric origin, its outflow from ionosphere into the magnetosphere is a manifestation of fundamental processes concerning energy and mass flow within the coupled Magnetosphere &amp;#8211; Ionosphere system. Although a lot of progress has been made on O+ outflow at high latitudes and its subsequent transport and acceleration within the magnetotail and plasma sheet, the source of low-energy O+ within the inner magnetosphere remains a compelling open question. The Helium Oxygen Proton and Electron (HOPE) mass spectrometer instrument aboard Van Allen Probes, which move in highly elliptical, low inclination orbits with apogee of 5.8 RE, has repeatedly detected field aligned flux enhancements of eV to hundreds of eV O+ ions, which indicate O+ outflow directly into the inner magnetosphere. We systematically investigate, throughout the duration of the Van Allen Probes mission (2012 &amp;#8211; 2019), the occurrence of such events with respect to L and MLT, the dependence of their directionality (bi-directional or unidirectional) and the lowest and highest energies involved on L, MLT and MLAT. We categorize the outflow events with respect to plasmapause location (when its determination is possible) and identify whether there is enhancement of O+ density. This categorization is important because if the outflows occur close to the plasmapause location, and depending on the density enhancement they cause, they could be responsible for the formation of O+ torus, whose source has been under debate for years. Finally, in order to identify the physical processes that lead to the ionospheric outflow, we also examine whether there are dipolarizations and/or enhancements of the field-aligned poynting flux associated with these outflow events.&lt;/p&gt;

Earth’s polar outflow evolution from mid-Archean to present

&lt;p&gt;Habitable conditions on Earth developed in a tight connection to the evolution of terrestrial atmosphere which was strongly influenced by atmospheric escape. In this study, we investigated the evolution of the polar ion outflow from the Earth&amp;#8217;s open field line bundle starting from mid-Archean (three gigayears ago) and to present. We performed Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) simulations and estimated upper limits on escape rates from the Earth's polar areas assuming the present-day composition of the atmosphere. We performed two additional simulations with lower mixing ratios of oxygen of 1% and 15% to account for the composition changes after the Great Oxydation Event (GOE).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;According to our estimates, the maximum loss rates due to polar outflow was reached three gigayears ago equal to 3.3 x 10&lt;sup&gt;27 &lt;/sup&gt;s&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; and 2.4 x 10&lt;sup&gt;27 &lt;/sup&gt;s&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; for oxygen and nitrogen, respectively. We estimate the total maximum integrated mass loss equal to 39% and 10% of the modern atmosphere's mass, for oxygen and nitrogen, respectively. We also show that escape rates increase, if the oxygen mixing ratio is decreased (GOE simulations), which is due to reduced thermospheric cooling. According to these results, the main factors that governed the polar outflow in the considered time period are the evolution of the XUV radiation of the Sun and the atmosphere's composition. The evolution of the Earth's magnetic field plays a less important role. We conclude that although the atmosphere that has a present-day composition can survive the escape due to polar outflow from 3 gigayears ago and later, a higher level of CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; between 3.0 and 2.0 Ga is likely necessary to reduce the escape.&lt;/p&gt;