Evidence that crater flux transfer events are initial stages of typical flux transfer events

Zhang, Hui; Kivelson, M. G.; Khurana, K. K.; McFadden, J. P.; Walker, Raymond J.; Angelopoulos, V.; Weygand, J. M.; Phan, T. D.; Larson, D. E.; Glaßmeier, Karl‐Heinz; Auster, H. U.

doi:10.1029/2009ja015013

Cited by 43 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Since the tangential plasma flow in the magnetosheath is typical in the range v t = 200-400 km/s [Paschmann et al, 1982;Coroniti, 1985;Zhang et al, 2010;H. Since the tangential plasma flow in the magnetosheath is typical in the range v t = 200-400 km/s [Paschmann et al, 1982;Coroniti, 1985;Zhang et al, 2010;H.…”

Section: Summary and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Formation of Alfvénic resonance layers in magnetic reconnection

Lei

2016

JGR Space Physics

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In the framework of two‐dimensional incompressible MHD, we investigate the formation of Alfvénic resonance layers with different super‐Alfvénic shear flows. It is found that Alfvénic resonance layers are formed in the inflow region for the cases with the shear flow thickness larger than the current sheet thickness. The Alfvénic layers exist at where the flow velocity is equal to the local Alfvén speed and slowly drift away from the current sheet region as a magnetic island develops. The ratio (D) between the separation of the Alfvénic resonance layers and the current sheet thickness plays a crucial role on magnetic reconnection. It is found that D ~ 3 is a critical value, which is about the saturated size of a magnetic island in magnetic reconnection without super‐Alfvénic shear flow. For D < 3, the super‐Alfvénic shear flow shows mainly a suppressing effect on magnetic reconnection and the peaked reconnection rate drops below the rate without a super‐Alfvénic shear flow. When D > 3, the boosting effect of Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability surpasses the suppressing effect by Alfvénic resonance and the peaked reconnection rate is larger than that without a super‐Alfvénic shear flow. For D ~ 5, the super‐Alfvénic shear flow gives rise to a strongest boosting effect on magnetic reconnection. Possible applications are briefly discussed.

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Section: Summary and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Formation of Alfvénic resonance layers in magnetic reconnection

Lei

2016

JGR Space Physics

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“…Because of the flow reversal observed within the structure, we interpret the THE signature as that of an FRE, an in vivo flux rope (see Figures 2d and 2e). The dip in the field magnitude B T near the center of the signature at THE suggests that the form of the flux rope was that of a crater FTE, a flux rope in an early stage of formation [ Zhang et al , 2010]. When the structure reached THD, it had evolved into a typical FTE with a strong core field.…”

Section: Themis Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generation and properties of in vivo flux transfer events

et al. 2012

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[1] Of the 3701 flux transfer event signatures that we identified in THEMIS data between May and October of 2007 and 2008 at low-latitudes on the magnetopause, 41 were distinctive in that the north-south flow components reversed direction during the $1 min required for THEMIS spacecraft to traverse the structure. We have ruled out the possibility that these 41 "flow reversal events" (FREs) were single X-line structures in motion, and confirmed from their field and plasma properties that they indeed were flux ropes. We have interpreted the plasma flow reversal as evidence that we observed the flux ropes while they were being generated by a pair of X-lines that developed in sequence through component merging, a process that seems to play a significant role in forming flux ropes. Our analysis, which applies only to low latitude flux ropes, provides evidence to modify the updated multiple X-line reconnection scenario with component merging as the dominant associated reconnection process.

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“…There are also some flux ropes with a decrease in magnetic field strength in the center, which are referred to as crater flux ropes (e.g., Farrugia et al, 1988;Sibeck et al, 2008). Zhang et al (2010) proposed that these crater flux ropes are initial stages of typical flux ropes, and they would evolve into typical flux ropes with a reduction of central plasma pressure resulting from the transport of plasma along their axes. Therefore, they are modeled as a non-force-free structure .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnetic depression and electron transport in an ion-scale flux rope associated with Kelvin–Helmholtz waves

Tang

Wang

et al. 2018

Ann. Geophys.

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Abstract. We report an ion-scale magnetic flux rope (the size of the flux rope is ∼ 8.5 ion inertial lengths) at the trailing edge of Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) waves observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission on 27 September 2016, which is likely generated by multiple X-line reconnection. The currents of this flux rope are highly filamentary: in the central flux rope, the current flows are mainly parallel to the magnetic field, supporting a local magnetic field increase at about 7 nT, while at the edges the current filaments are predominantly along the antiparallel direction, which induce an opposing field that causes a significant magnetic depression along the axis direction (> 20 nT), meaning the overall magnetic field of this flux rope is depressed compared to the ambient magnetic field. Thus, this flux rope, accompanied by the plasma thermal pressure enhancement in the center, is referred to as a crater type. Intense lower hybrid drift waves (LHDWs) are found at the magnetospheric edge of the flux rope, and the wave potential is estimated to be ∼ 17 % of the electron temperature. Though LHDWs may be stabilized by the mechanism of electron resonance broadening, these waves could still effectively enable diffusive electron transports in the cross-field direction, corresponding to a local density dip. This indicates LHDWs could play important roles in the evolution of crater flux ropes.

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Evidence that crater flux transfer events are initial stages of typical flux transfer events

Cited by 43 publications

References 52 publications

Formation of Alfvénic resonance layers in magnetic reconnection

Formation of Alfvénic resonance layers in magnetic reconnection

Generation and properties of in vivo flux transfer events

Magnetic depression and electron transport in an ion-scale flux rope associated with Kelvin–Helmholtz waves

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