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

Ku, Hwar-Ching; Sibeck, D. G.

doi:10.1029/98ja01171

Cited by 15 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(35 reference statements)

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“…Different from the 2-D simulations performed by Ku and Sibeck [1997, 1998a, 1998b, 2000 or in cases where the magnetosheath and magnetospheric magnetic fields are perfectly antiparallel, here the FTE signature is not anymore associated to the bulge that forms around the field reversal region but it is distributed along the reconnected field lines as the Alfvenic perturbation propagates from the reconnection point. As a consequence, we can follow the evolution of the part of the FTE bulging into the magnetosphere and the part bulging into the …”

Section: 1002/2013ja018964mentioning

confidence: 94%

“…In this work we extended the investigations performed in Ku and Sibeck [1997, 1998a, 1998b, 2000 by using a local 3-D resistive MHD simulations and considering a sheared magnetic field configuration. Similar work has been performed by Otto [1990Otto [ , 1995, Ma et al [1995], La Belle-Hamer et al [1995], .…”

Section: 1002/2013ja018964mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Transient magnetic islands also form on the trailing edge of the main FTE, forming secondary FTEs, but they remain small and later disappear. Besides giving important information about FTE evolution and the associated perturbation in the ambient plasma and magnetic field, the 2-D simulations performed in Ku and Sibeck [1997, 1998a, 1998b, 2000 only consider perfectly antiparallel fields, a particular case that is rarely observed at the magnetopause. Also, in their 2-D simulations the FTE evolution is restricted to the plane perpendicular to the magnetopause as well as the evolution of associated perturbations.…”

Section: 1002/2013ja018964mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, they do not discuss the mechanism responsible for the increase in viscosity close to the FTE nor investigate the evolution of magnetic field and plasma inside the FTE. Ku and Sibeck [1997, 1998a, 1998b, 2000 performed a series of 2-D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations to investigate the signatures of FTEs produced by a Petschek-type reconnection occurring close to the subsolar point. In their first work [Ku and Sibeck, 1997] reconnection is started by a step function timedependent localized increase in resistivity.…”

Section: 1002/2013ja018964mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They associate the FTEs signature with the vortical flow at the magnetosheath. Ku and Sibeck [1998b] checked for the effects of bursty reconnection and secondary reconnection by considering a background resistivity and turning on and off the enhanced local resistivity. In this case after the enhanced resistivity is switched off, secondary reconnection sites appear on the trailing edge of the event where thin current sheets are formed.…”

Section: 1002/2013ja018964mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Three‐dimensional MHD simulation of FTEs produced by merging at an isolated point in a sheared magnetic field configuration

et al. 2014

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(2014), Three-dimensional MHD simulation of FTEs produced by merging at an isolated point in a sheared magnetic field configuration, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 119, 2009-2023, doi:10.1002 Abstract We present predictions for the evolution of FTEs generated by localized bursts of reconnection on a planar magnetopause that separates a magnetosheath region of high densities and weak magnetic field from a magnetospheric region of low densities and strong magnetic field. The magnetic fields present a shear angle of 105 degrees. Reconnection forms a pair of FTEs each crossing the magnetopause in the field reversal region and bulging into the magnetosphere and magnetosheath. At their initial stage they can be characterized as flux tubes since the newly reconnected magnetic field lines are not twisted. Reconnection launches Alfvenic perturbations that propagate along the FTEs generating high-speed jets, which move the pair of FTEs in opposite directions. As the FTE moves, it displaces the ambient magnetic field and plasma producing bipolar magnetic field and plasma velocity signatures normal to the nominal magnetopause in the regions surrounding the FTE. The combination of the ambient plasma with the FTE flows generates a vortical velocity pattern around the reconnected field lines. During its evolution the FTE evolves to a flux rope configuration due to the twist of the magnetic field lines. The alfvenic perturbations propagate faster along the part of the FTE bulging into the magnetosphere than in the magnetosheath, and due to the differences between the plasma and magnetic field properties the perturbations have slightly different signatures in the two regions. As a consequence, the FTEs have different signatures depending on whether the satellite encounters the part bulging into the magnetosphere or into the magnetosheath.

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Section: 1002/2013ja018964mentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: 1002/2013ja018964mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: 1002/2013ja018964mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: 1002/2013ja018964mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: 1002/2013ja018964mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Three‐dimensional MHD simulation of FTEs produced by merging at an isolated point in a sheared magnetic field configuration

et al. 2014

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A sequence of flux transfer events potentially generated by different generation mechanisms

et al. 2016

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Flux transfer events (FTEs) are magnetic structures generated by time‐varying reconnection at the dayside magnetopause. Understanding their generation mechanism is important, because it is necessary in order to understand the global contribution of FTEs to the convection process. We present observations of several FTEs sequentially observed by Cluster at the subsolar magnetopause. Cluster detected also several reconnection jets, which seem to be systematically associated with the trailing edge of the FTEs. This association is expected only in the FTEs formed by single X line reconnection but could be compatible also with the multiple X line model, when reconnection at one X line is dominant. Instead, it does not seem compatible with original mechanism proposed by Russell and Elphic (1978). For a large FTE, not associated with any reconnection jet, the Grad‐Shafranov reconstruction obtained from Cluster 1 data recovers a flux rope, indicative of multiple X line reconnection. This same FTE was detected also by Cluster 3, which observed an asymmetric signature in the magnetic field component normal to the magnetopause. We show that this asymmetric signature was caused by an outward motion of the magnetopause. The orientation of the other FTEs, obtained from a Grad‐Shafranov optimization, shows considerable spread, despite the relatively steady conditions. Our interpretation is that a combination of single and multiple X line reconnection generated these FTEs. The FTEs in the first part of the crossing, associated with reconnection jets, are generated by the single X line model and may therefore not satisfy the Grad‐Shafranov assumptions so well. Instead, the last FTE, slower, bigger, and well separated from the previous ones, may be formed by multiple X line reconnection.

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