Fractal reconnection structures on the magnetopause

Coleman, I. J.

doi:10.1029/2004gl021779

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 20 publications

(29 reference statements)

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“…With the development of the remote sensing technique and the existing and forthcoming data from SuperDARN and auroral imagers, measurement of reconnection could become increasingly efficient and routine. This should allow us to address more conclusively the particularly important problem of the general structure of reconnection in time and space, including its temporal continuity and stability [ Phan et al , 2000; Abel and Freeman , 2002], and the relative prevalence and causes of single, dual, or multiple reconnection sites with particular scales, or of scale‐free reconnection structure [ Lazarian and Vishniac , 1999; Klimas et al , 2000; Coleman et al , 2001; Chisham et al , 2002; Coleman and Freeman , 2005; Phan et al , 2006].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remote sensing of the spatial and temporal structure of magnetopause and magnetotail reconnection from the ionosphere

Chisham

Freeman

Abel

et al. 2008

Reviews of Geophysics

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[1] Magnetic reconnection is the most significant process that results in the transport of magnetized plasma into and out of the Earth's magnetosphere-ionosphere system. There is also compelling observational evidence that it plays a major role in the dynamics of the solar corona, and it may also be important for understanding cosmic rays, accretion disks, magnetic dynamos, and star formation. The Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere are presently the most accessible natural plasma environments where magnetic reconnection and its consequences can be measured, either in situ or by remote sensing. This paper presents a complete methodology for the remote sensing of magnetic reconnection in the magnetosphere from the ionosphere. This method combines measurements of ionospheric plasma convection and the ionospheric footprint of the reconnection separatrix. Techniques for measuring both the ionospheric plasma flow and the location and motion of the reconnection separatrix are reviewed, and the associated assumptions and uncertainties are assessed, using new analyses where required. Application of the overall methodology is demonstrated by the study of a 2-h interval from 26 December 2000 using a wide range of spacecraft and ground-based measurements of the Northern Hemisphere ionosphere. This example illustrates how spatial and temporal variations in the reconnection rate, as well as changes in the balance of magnetopause (dayside) and magnetotail (nightside) reconnection, can be routinely monitored, affording new opportunities for understanding the universal reconnection process and its influence on all aspects of space weather. Citation: Chisham, G., et al. (2008), Remote sensing of the spatial and temporal structure of magnetopause and magnetotail reconnection from the ionosphere, Rev. Geophys., 46, RG1004,

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remote sensing of the spatial and temporal structure of magnetopause and magnetotail reconnection from the ionosphere

Chisham

Freeman

Abel

et al. 2008

Reviews of Geophysics

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“…Abel and Freeman (2002) argued that the functional form of these occurrence distributions was a power law, implying that there is no preferred timescale for these convection velocity fluctuations. They proposed that this scale-free nature could arise from the intermittent, turbulent nature of the IMF causing magnetic reconnection to occur at the magnetopause across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales (Coleman and Freeman 2005). SuperDARN observations of transient dayside convection flows have also been associated with plasma pressure variations in the solar wind.…”

Section: The Structure and Dynamics Of Mesoscale Convectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A decade of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN): scientific achievements, new techniques and future directions

et al. 2007

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The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) has been operating as an international co-operative organization for over 10 years. The network has now grown so that the fields of view of its 18 radars cover the majority of the northern and southern hemisphere polar ionospheres. SuperDARN has been successful in addressing a wide range of scientific questions concerning processes in the magnetosphere, ionosphere,

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“…We thus need to clarify the relative importance of local and global conditions, by investigating how the X-line properties depend on the dipole tilt angle or season (cf. Subsection 5.1.2), the nature of magnetosheath turbulence (Coleman and Freeman, 2005), etc. There is also the interesting question of how plasma β (ratio of the plasma to magnetic pressure), magnetic shear, sheared flows, etc.…”

Section: Other Remaining Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structure and Dynamics of the Magnetopause and Its Boundary Layers

Hasegawa¹

2012

Monogr. Environ. Earth Planets

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The magnetopause is the key region in space for the transfer of solar wind mass, momentum, and energy into the magnetosphere. During the last decade, our understanding of the structure and dynamics of Earth's magnetopause and its boundary layers has advanced considerably, thanks largely to the advent of multi-spacecraft missions such as Cluster and THEMIS. Moreover, various types of physics-based techniques have been developed for visualizing two-or threedimensional plasma and field structures from data taken by one or more spacecraft, providing a new approach to the analysis of the spatiotemporal properties of magnetopause processes, such as magnetic reconnection and the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI). Information on the size, shape, orientation, and evolution of magnetic flux ropes or flow vortices generated by those processes can be extracted from in situ measurements. Observations show that magnetopause reconnection can be globally continuous for both southward and northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions, but even under such circumstances, more than one X-line may exist within a certain (low-latitude or high-latitude) portion on the magnetopause and some X-lines may retreat anti-sunward. The potential global effects of such behavior are discussed. An overview is also given of the identification, excitation, evolution, and possible consequences of the magnetopause KHI: there is evidence for nonlinear KHI growth and associated vortex-induced reconnection under northward IMF. Observation-based estimates indicate that reconnection tailward of both polar cusps can be the dominant mechanism for solar wind plasma entry into the dayside magnetosphere under northward IMF. However, the mechanism by which the transferred plasma is transported into the central portion of the magnetotail, and the role of magnetopause processes in this transport, remain unclear. Future prospects of magnetopause and other relevant studies are also discussed.

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Fractal reconnection structures on the magnetopause

Cited by 7 publications

References 20 publications

Remote sensing of the spatial and temporal structure of magnetopause and magnetotail reconnection from the ionosphere

Remote sensing of the spatial and temporal structure of magnetopause and magnetotail reconnection from the ionosphere

A decade of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN): scientific achievements, new techniques and future directions

Structure and Dynamics of the Magnetopause and Its Boundary Layers

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