We present analytic expressions for ULF wave-derived radiation belt radial diffusion coefficients, as a function of L and Kp, which can easily be incorporated into global radiation belt transport models. The diffusion coefficients are derived from statistical representations of ULF wave power, electric field power mapped from ground magnetometer data, and compressional magnetic field power from in situ measurements. We show that the overall electric and magnetic diffusion coefficients are to a good approximation both independent of energy. We present example 1-D radial diffusion results from simulations driven by CRRES-observed time-dependent energy spectra at the outer boundary, under the action of radial diffusion driven by the new ULF wave radial diffusion coefficients and with empirical chorus wave loss terms (as a function of energy, Kp and L). There is excellent agreement between the differential flux produced by the 1-D, Kp-driven, radial diffusion model and CRRES observations of differential electron flux at 0.976 MeV—even though the model does not include the effects of local internal acceleration sources. Our results highlight not only the importance of correct specification of radial diffusion coefficients for developing accurate models but also show significant promise for belt specification based on relatively simple models driven by solar wind parameters such as solar wind speed or geomagnetic indices such as Kp.Key PointsAnalytic expressions for the radial diffusion coefficients are presentedThe coefficients do not dependent on energy or wave m valueThe electric field diffusion coefficient dominates over the magnetic
Magnetospheric substorms explosively release solar wind energy previously stored in Earth's magnetotail, encompassing the entire magnetosphere and producing spectacular auroral displays. It has been unclear whether a substorm is triggered by a disruption of the electrical current flowing across the near-Earth magnetotail, at approximately 10 R(E) (R(E): Earth radius, or 6374 kilometers), or by the process of magnetic reconnection typically seen farther out in the magnetotail, at approximately 20 to 30 R(E). We report on simultaneous measurements in the magnetotail at multiple distances, at the time of substorm onset. Reconnection was observed at 20 R(E), at least 1.5 minutes before auroral intensification, at least 2 minutes before substorm expansion, and about 3 minutes before near-Earth current disruption. These results demonstrate that substorms are likely initiated by tail reconnection.
This review describes the infrastructure and capabilities of the expanded and upgraded Canadian Array for Realtime InvestigationS of Magnetic Activity (CARISMA) magnetometer array in the era of the THEMIS mission. Formerly operated as the Canadian Auroral Network for the OPEN Program Unified Study (CANOPUS) magnetometer array until 2003, CARISMA capabilities have been extended with the deployment of additional fluxgate magnetometer stations (to a total of 28), the upgrading of the fluxgate magnetometer cadence to a standard data product of 1 sample/s (raw sampled 8 samples/s data stream available on request), and the deployment of a new network of 8 pairs of induction coils (100 samples per second). CARISMA data, GPS-timed and backed up at remote field stations, is collected using Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite internet in real-time providing a real-time monitor for magnetic activity on a continent-wide scale. Operating under the magnetic footprint of the THEMIS probes, data from 5 CARISMA stations at 29-30 samples/s also forms part of the formal THEMIS ground-based observatory (GBO) datastream. In addition to technical details, in this review we also outline some of the scientific capabilities of the CARISMA array for addressing all three of the scientific objectives of the THEMIS mission, namely: 1. Onset and evolution of the macroscale substorm instability, 414 I.R. Mann et al.2. Production of storm-time MeV electrons, and 3. Control of the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling by the bow shock, magnetosheath, and magnetopause. We further discuss some of the compelling questions related to these three THEMIS mission science objectives which can be addressed with CARISMA.
.[1] Waves in the ultra-low-frequency (ULF) band have frequencies which can be drift resonant with electrons in the outer radiation belt, suggesting the potential for strong interactions and enhanced radial diffusion. Previous radial diffusion coefficient models such as those presented by Brautigam and Albert (2000) have typically used semiempirical representations for both the ULF wave's electric and magnetic field power spectral densities (PSD) in space in the magnetic equatorial plane. In contrast, here we use ground-and space-based observations of ULF wave power to characterize the electric and magnetic diffusion coefficients. Expressions for the electric field power spectral densities are derived from ground-based magnetometer measurements of the magnetic field PSD, and in situ AMPTE and GOES spacecraft measurements are used to derive expressions for the compressional magnetic field PSD as functions of Kp, solar wind speed, and L-shell. Magnetic PSD results measured on the ground are mapped along the field line to give the electric field PSD in the equatorial plane assuming a guided Alfvén wave solution and a thin sheet ionosphere. The ULF wave PSDs are then used to derive a set of new ULF-wave driven diffusion coefficients. These new diffusion coefficients are compared to estimates of the electric and magnetic field diffusion coefficients made by Brautigam and Albert (2000) and Brautigam et al. (2005). Significantly, our results, derived explicitly from ULF wave observations, indicate that electric field diffusion is much more important than magnetic field diffusion in the transport and energization of the radiation belt electrons.
We present a new quantitative technique that determines the times and durations of substorm expansion and recovery phases and possible growth phases based on percentiles of the rate of change of auroral electrojet indices. By being able to prescribe different percentile values, we can determine the onset and duration of substorm phases for smaller or larger variations of the auroral index or indeed any auroral zone ground‐based magnetometer data. We apply this technique to the SuperMAG AL (SML) index and compare our expansion phase onset times with previous lists of substorm onsets. We find that more than 50% of events in previous lists occur within 20 min of our identified onsets. We also present a comparison of superposed epoch analyses of SML based on our onsets identified by our technique and existing onset lists and find that the general characteristics of the substorm bay are comparable. By prescribing user‐defined thresholds, this automated, quantitative technique represents an improvement over any visual identification of substorm onsets or indeed any fixed threshold method.
[1] We present an interval of extremely long-lasting narrow-band Pc5 pulsations during the recovery phase of a large geomagnetic storm. These pulsations occurred continuously for many hours and were observed throughout the magnetosphere and in the dusk-sector ionosphere. The subject of this paper is the favorable radial alignment of the Cluster, Polar, and geosynchronous satellites in the dusk sector during a 3-hour subset of this interval that allows extensive analysis of the global nature of the pulsations and the tracing of their energy transfer from the solar wind to the ground. Virtually monochromatic large-amplitude pulsations were observed by the CANOPUS magnetometer chain at dusk for several hours, during which the Cluster spacecraft constellation traversed the dusk magnetopause. The solar wind conditions were very steady, the solar wind speed was fast, and time series analysis of the solar wind dynamic pressure shows no significant power concentrated in the Pc5 band. The pulsations are observed in both geosynchronous electron and magnetic field data over a wide range of local times while Cluster is in the vicinity of the magnetopause providing clear evidence of boundary oscillations with the same periodicity as the ground and geosynchronous pulsations. Furthermore, the Polar spacecraft crossed the equatorial dusk magnetosphere outside of geosynchronous orbit (L $ 6-9) and observed significant electric and magnetic perturbations around the same quasi-stable central frequency (1.4-1.6 mHz). The Poynting vector observed by the Polar spacecraft associated with these pulsations has strong field-aligned oscillations, as expected for standing Alfvén waves, as well as a nonzero azimuthal component, indicating a downtail component to the energy propagation. In the ionosphere, ground-based magnetometers observed signatures characteristic of a field-line resonance, and HF radars observed flows as a direct consequence of the energy input. We conclude that the most likely explanations is that magnetopause oscillations couple energy to field lines close to the location of Polar, setting up standing Alfvén waves along the resonant field lines which are then also observed in the ionosphere. In the absence of monochromatic dynamic pressure variations in the solar wind, this event is a potential example where discrete frequency pulsations in the magnetosphere result from the excitation of a magnetospheric waveguide mode, perhaps excited via the Kelvin-Helmoltz instability or via overreflection at the duskside magnetopause.Citation: Rae, I. J., et al. (2005), Evolution and characteristics of global Pc5 ULF waves during a high solar wind speed interval,
Abstract. THEMIS was launched onDuring the coast phase the probes were put into a string-of-pearls configuration at 100s of km to 2R E along-track separations, which provided a unique view of the magnetosphere and enabled an unprecedented dataset in anticipation of the first tail season. In this paper we describe the first THEMIS substorm observations, captured during instrument commissioning on March 23, 2007.THEMIS measured the rapid expansion of the plasma sheet at a speed that is commensurate with the simultaneous expansion of the auroras on the ground. These are the first unequivocal observations of the rapid westward expansion process in space and on the ground. Aided by the remote sensing technique at energetic particle boundaries and combined with ancillary measurements and MHD simulations, they allow determination and mapping of space currents.These measurements show the power of the THEMIS instrumentation in the tail and the radiation belts. We also present THEMIS Flux Transfer Events (FTE) observations at the magnetopause, which demonstrate the importance of multi-point observations there and the quality of the THEMIS instrumentation in that region of space.2
[1] Following a long interval (many days) of sustained very quiet geomagnetic conditions, electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave activity was seen by the CARISMA array (www.carisma.ca) on the ground for several hours simultaneously with enhanced solar wind density and related magnetic compression seen at GOES 12 on 29th June 2007. The THEMIS C, D, and E satellites were outbound in a ''string-of-pearls'' configuration and each observed EMIC waves on L-shells ranging from 5 to 6.5. THEMIS resolved some of the spatial-temporal ambiguity and defined the radial extent of EMIC activity to be $1.3 Re. The band-limited EMIC waves were seen slightly further out in radial distance by each subsequent THEMIS satellite, but in each case were bounded at high-L by a decrease in density as monitored by spacecraft potential. The EMIC wave activity appears to be confined to a region of higher plasma density in the vicinity of the plasmapause, as verified by ground-based cross-phase analysis. The structured EMIC waves seen at THEMIS E and on the ground have the same repetition period, in contradiction to expectations from the bouncing wave packet hypothesis. Compression-related EMIC waves are usually thought to be preferentially confined to higher L's than observed here. Our observations suggest solar wind density enhancements may also play a role in the excitation of radially localised EMIC waves near the plasmapause. Citation: Usanova,
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