Turbulent Plasma Jet Fronts and Related Ion Acceleration

<p>We investigate an earthward bursty bulk flow (BBF) observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft in the Earth’s magnetotail (X<sub>GSM</sub> ~ -23.88 R<sub>E</sub>, Y<sub>GSM</sub> ~ 6.72 R<sub>E</sub>, Z<sub>GSM </sub>~ 4.06 R<sub>E)</sub>. At  the leading edge of the BBF we observe a complex magnetic field structure. In particular, within this region we identify multiple dipolarization fronts (DFs) and large amplitude oscillations of the magnetic field <em>B<sub>X</sub></em>, which correspond to a long wavelength current sheet flapping motion. Within the DFs, we observe increased fluxes of energetic ions and electrons. We investigate the trapping of the ions between two consecutive DFs. We discuss the ion acceleration mechanism and the adiabaticity of the ion energisation process.</p>

Drifting Electron Holes Occurring During Geomagnetically Quiet Times: BD-IES Observations

<p>Drifting electron holes (DEHs), manifesting as sudden but mild dropout in electron flux, are a common phenomenon seen in the Earth's magnetosphere. It manifests the change of the state of the magnetosphere. However, previous studies primarily focus on DEHs during geomagnetically active time (e.g., substorm). Not until recently have quiet time DEHs been reported. In this paper, we present a systematic study on the quiet time DEHs. BeiDa Imaging Electron Spectrometer (BD-IES) measurements from 2015 to 2017 are investigated. Twenty-two DEH events are identified. The DEHs cover the whole energy range of BD-IES (50–600 keV). Generally, the DEHs are positively dispersive with respect to energy. Time-of-flight analysis suggests the dispersion results from electron drift motion and gives the location where the DEHs originated from. Statistics reveal the DEHs primarily originated from the postmidnight magnetosphere. In addition, superposed epoch analysis applied to geomagnetic indices and solar wind parameters indicates these DEH events occurred during geomagnetically quiet time. No storm or substorm activity could be identified. However, an investigation into nightside midlatitude ground magnetic records suggests these quiet time DEHs were accompanied by Pi2 pulsations. The DEH-Pi2 connection indicates a possible DEH-bursty bulk flow (BBF) connection, since nightside midlatitude Pi2 activity is generally attributed to magnetotail BBFs. This connection is also supported by a case study of coordinated magnetotail observations from Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft. Therefore, we suggest the quiet time DEHs could be caused by magnetotail BBFs, similar to the substorm time DEHs.</p>

Observation of the tailward electron flows commonly detected at the flow boundary of the earthward ion Bursty Bulk Flows in the magnetotail

<p>By measurements of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission in the magnetotail from -24 to -15 R<sub>E</sub> , we identified 40 ion Bursty Bulk Flow events (BBFs) and investigated the electron behaviors during these BBFs. The ion flows peaked near the center of the plasma sheet and had a sharp flow boundary. The electron flow profile is distinct from the ion flows of the BBFs. Inside the BBFs, the strongest earthward electron flows are observed in the ion flow boundary, away from the current sheet center. Further away from the peak of the earthward electron flows, the tailward electron flows are observed in the edges of the ion flows, are mainly field-aligned with low energy, and are stronger than the earthward flows. It seems that the tailward low-energy electrons are energized at some places tailward of the spacecraft and then ejected towards Earth, consistent with the magnetic reconnection scenario in the magnetotail. The implication to the understanding of the astrophysical jets is suggested.</p>

Observations of an auroral streamer in a double oval configuration

During the late evening and night of 14 September 2004, the nightside auroral oval shows a distinct double oval configuration for several hours after a substorm onset at ~18:45 UT. This structure is observed both by the IMAGE satellite optical instruments focusing on the Southern Hemisphere, and by the MIRACLE ground-based instrument network in Scandinavia. At ~21:17 UT during the recovery phase of the substorm, an auroral streamer is detected by these instruments and the EISCAT radar, while simultaneously the Cluster satellites observe a bursty bulk flow in the conjugate portion of the plasma sheet in the magnetotail. Our combined data analysis reveals significant differences between the ionospheric equivalent current signature of this streamer within a double oval configuration, as compared to previously studied streamer events without such a configuration. We attribute these differences to the presence of an additional poleward polarization electric field between the poleward and the equatorward portions of the double oval, and show with a simple model that such an assumption can conceptually explain the observations. Further, we estimate the total current transferred in meridional direction by this recovery phase streamer to ~80 kA, significantly less than for previously analysed expansion phase streamer events. Both results indicate that the development of auroral streamers is dependent on the ambient background conditions in the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. The auroral streamer event studied was simultaneously observed in the conjugate Northern and Southern Hemisphere ionosphere.