A statistical study of the magnetic signatures of FTEs near the dayside magnetopause

Sanny, Jeff; Beck, C.; Sibeck, D. G.

doi:10.1029/97ja03246

Cited by 14 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…An irregular, asymmetric perturbation observed at Geotail was also inferred to be the consequence of an open flux tube anchored in the Southern Hemisphere given the good agreement between the estimated propagation direction and the observed ion flow, and the inferred position of the X line required to initiate the propagation of northward moving FTEs consistent with those observed at Cluster. We note that this departure from the expected reverse polarity signature is in keeping with the observations of Daly et al (1984), who demonstrated southward moving flux tubes may give rise to signatures other than the expected "normal" polarity under certain circumstances and Sanny et al (1998), who proposed that FTEs formed at an equatorial X line emerge with strongly asymmetric signatures which evolve into the familiar bipolar signature at increasing distances from the X line.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Simultaneous in-situ observations of the signatures of dayside reconnection at the high- and low-latitude magnetopause

et al. 2005

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Abstract. We present magnetic field and particle data recorded by the Cluster and Geotail satellites in the vicinity of the high-and low-latitude dayside magnetopause, respectively, on 17 February 2003. A favourable conjunction of these spacecraft culminated in the observation of a series of flux transfer events (FTEs), characterised by bipolar perturbations in the component of the magnetic field normal to the magnetopause, an enhancement in the overall magnetic field strength, and field tilting effects in the plane of the magnetopause whilst the satellites were located on the magnetosheath side of the boundary. Whilst a subset of the FTE signatures observed could be identified as being either normal or reverse polarity, the rapid succession of events observed made it difficult to classify some of the signatures unambiguously. Nevertheless, by considering the source region and motion of flux tubes opened by magnetic reconnection at low latitudes (i.e. between Cluster and Geotail), we demonstrate that the observations are consistent with the motion of northward (southward) and tailward moving flux tubes anchored in the Northern (Southern) Hemisphere passing in close proximity to the Cluster (Geotail) satellites. We are able to demonstrate that a multi-spacecraft approach, coupled with a realistic model of flux tube motion in the magnetosheath, enables us to infer the approximate position of the reconnection site, which in this case was located at nearequatorial latitudes.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Simultaneous in-situ observations of the signatures of dayside reconnection at the high- and low-latitude magnetopause

et al. 2005

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“…Spacecraft directly in the path of the bubbles observe flows in the direction of the bulge motion within the events themselves. While events with these characteristics are not classical FTEs as described above, recent observational work suggests that events marked by asymmetric signatures are relatively common [Sanny et al, 1998]. If so, it is still quite worthwhile to study the characteristics of events produced by the onset of reconnection along an extended X line.…”

Section: Paper Number 97ja03688mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although other signatures can be observed [e.g., Rijnbeek et al, 1984;Sanny et al, 1998], many of the transients exhibit a nearly bipolar signature in the component of the magnetic field normal to the nominal magnetopause, a magnetic field strength increase, and a mixture of magnetosheath and magnetospheric plasmas [Russell and Elphic, 1978;Paschmann et al, 1982]. Sometimes the magnetic field strength exhibits a crater-like decrease at the center of the events [Rijnbeek et al, 1987].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of magnetosheath plasma flow on flux transfer events produced by the onset of merging at a single X line

Ku¹,

Sibeck²

1998

J. Geophys. Res.

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“…Although other signatures can be observed [e.g., Rijnbeek et al, 1984;Sanny et al, 1996Sanny et al, , 1998], most of the transients exhibit a nearly symmetric bipolar signature in the component of the magnetic field normal to the nominal magnetopause, a magnetic field strength increase, and a mixture of magnetosheath and magnetospheric plasmas [Russell and Elphic, 1978;Paschmann et al, 1982]. Transients with these signatures are termed "flux transfer events," or FFEs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flux transfer events produced by bursty merging at a single X line

Ku¹,

Sibeck²

1998

J. Geophys. Res.

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Abstract. We present predictions for the signatures of flux transfer events (FTEs) at the dayside magnetopause produced by bursty merging at a single extended X line. In this MHD model, the time-dependent enhanced local resistivity tums on at a low northern latitude for a brief time and then tums off. Realistic ratios of magnetosheath to magnetosphere parameters are chosen to conform with observations and our previous simulations [Ku and Sibeck, 1997]: Pmsh/Psph = 10, Bmsh/Bsp h = 0.5, and rmsh/rsp h = 0.175. The burst of merging produces FTEs marked by strongly asymmetric bipolar magnetic field and plasma velocities normal to the magnetopause in the magnetosheath and no significant signatures in the magnetosphere, just as in the previously studied case for the step-function onset of merging [Ku and Sibeck, 1997]. However, the simulation produces other FTE signatures that differ strikingly from those generated by the step-function onset of merging. After the resistivity is switched off, one or more secondary reconnection sites appear on the trailing edge of the events. Merging at these sites inflates and propels the main FTE as it moves out of the simulation domain. Merging at these sites also fills a magnetic island with hot tenuous plasma near the subsolar (symmetry) point. Transient magnetic islands form on the trailing edge of the main FTE, but these remain small and may disappear. Scatterplots of various parameters versus the plasma density reveal that steep changes for the temperature kT, magnetic field B z, and the Alfv6n velocity occur on the magnetosheath side immediately adjacent to the magnetopause and also reflect the fact that the events scarcely deform the magnetopause.

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A statistical study of the magnetic signatures of FTEs near the dayside magnetopause

Cited by 14 publications

References 31 publications

Simultaneous in-situ observations of the signatures of dayside reconnection at the high- and low-latitude magnetopause

Simultaneous in-situ observations of the signatures of dayside reconnection at the high- and low-latitude magnetopause

The effect of magnetosheath plasma flow on flux transfer events produced by the onset of merging at a single X line

Flux transfer events produced by bursty merging at a single X line

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