A chain of magnetic flux ropes in the magnetotail of Mars

Eastwood, J. P.; Videira, Jose Jh; Brain, David; Halekas, J. S.

doi:10.1029/2011gl050444

Cited by 29 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…At Mars, observations of magnetic reconnection (Dubinin et al, 2008;Eastwood et al, 2008;Harada et al, 2015aHarada et al, , 2017, flux rope formation (DiBraccio et al, 2015;Eastwood et al, 2012;Hara et al, 2017), current sheet flapping , Marsward and tailward ion flows (Harada et al, 2015b), magnetic lobe dependence on IMF orientation Romanelli et al, 2015) and ionosphere magnetization , and bulk plasma escape (e.g., Brain et al, 2010;Halekas et al, 2016) have been reported in the magnetotail. At Mars, observations of magnetic reconnection (Dubinin et al, 2008;Eastwood et al, 2008;Harada et al, 2015aHarada et al, , 2017, flux rope formation (DiBraccio et al, 2015;Eastwood et al, 2012;Hara et al, 2017), current sheet flapping , Marsward and tailward ion flows (Harada et al, 2015b), magnetic lobe dependence on IMF orientation Romanelli et al, 2015) and ionosphere magnetization , and bulk plasma escape (e.g., Brain et al, 2010;Halekas et al, 2016) have been reported in the magnetotail.…”

Section: 1029/2018gl077251mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Twisted Configuration of the Martian Magnetotail: MAVEN Observations

DiBraccio

Luhmann

Curry

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

110

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Measurements provided by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft are analyzed to investigate the Martian magnetotail configuration as a function of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) BY. We find that the magnetotail lobes exhibit a ~45° twist, either clockwise or counterclockwise from the ecliptic plane, up to a few Mars radii downstream. Moreover, the associated cross‐tail current sheet is rotated away from the expected location for a Venus‐like induced magnetotail based on nominal IMF draping. Data‐model comparisons using magnetohydrodynamic simulations are in good agreement with the observed tail twist. Model field line tracings indicate that a majority of the twisted tail lobes are composed of open field lines, surrounded by draped IMF. We infer that dayside magnetic reconnection between the crustal fields and draped IMF creates these open fields and may be responsible for the twisted tail configuration, similar to what is observed at Earth.

show abstract

Section: 1029/2018gl077251mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Twisted Configuration of the Martian Magnetotail: MAVEN Observations

DiBraccio

Luhmann

Curry

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

110

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Chains of flux ropes have also been observed in the magnetotail current sheet by MGS [Eastwood et al, 2012a]; for example, between 14:45 and 14:55 UT on 14 January 2000, MGS crossed the magnetotail current sheet and observed a series of three flux rope signatures. Each flux rope was moving tailward, and a very good fit to a force-free flux rope model was obtained for the first and second structures.…”

Section: Reconnection In the Magnetotail Current Sheetmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Once formed by this secondary instability, the islands are periodically ejected in the reconnection outflow (see Figure 16.1c). Such periodic ejection could also create a chain of islands; this has been suggested to explain observations of flux rope chains in the magnetotails of Mars and Earth where the system size was not found to be commensurate with the chain size and duration [Eastwood et al, 2012a;Hietala et al, 2013]. Again Figure 16.1 shows antiparallel reconnection, and so the secondary island consists of closed loops.…”

Section: Quasi-two-dimensional Structurementioning

confidence: 94%

Origin and Evolution of Plasmoids and Flux Ropes in the Magnetotails of Earth and Mars

Eastwood

Kiehas

2015

Magnetotails in the Solar System

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Flux ropes signatures have also been observed beyond the terminator within the induced magnetotail of Mars (Eastwood et al, 2008(Eastwood et al, , 2012 and Venus (Slavin et al, 2009;Zhang et al, 2012a). The flux ropes of the magnetotail of Mars and Venus are found to take place in-between crossings of the central current sheet that separate oppositely orientated magnetic field of the magnetotail, and have been related to magnetic reconnection (Eastwood et al, 2008;Zhang et al, 2012a).…”

Section: Contents Lists Available At Sciencedirectmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The flux ropes of the magnetotail of Mars and Venus are found to take place in-between crossings of the central current sheet that separate oppositely orientated magnetic field of the magnetotail, and have been related to magnetic reconnection (Eastwood et al, 2008;Zhang et al, 2012a). Flux ropes of the Mars magnetotail are characterised by similar weak magnetic field strength and radial size as filamentary ionospheric flux ropes (Eastwood et al, 2008(Eastwood et al, , 2012, whereas flux ropes from the Venus magnetotail have been observed with larger sizes (1000's km) (Slavin et al, 2009;Zhang et al, 2012a).…”

Section: Contents Lists Available At Sciencedirectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Properties of a large-scale flux rope and current sheet region on the dayside of Mars: MGS MAG/ER and MEX ASPERA-3 ELS observations

Soobiah

Wild

Beharrell

et al. 2014

Icarus

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

a b s t r a c tWe present dual spacecraft observations by MGS MAG/ER and MEX ASPERA-3 ELS of a large-scale magnetic flux rope on the dayside of Mars that occurs in close proximity to the crustal magnetic fields and a dayside current sheet region. A current sheet (including the large-scale flux rope) was observed on repeated MGS orbits when the draped solar wind magnetic field present in the ionosphere had a þB y component (in MSO). Minimum Variance Analysis (MVA) of the large-scale flux rope and two current sheet crossings that occur after show a common peak in magnetic field along the intermediate variance direction, indicating the normal component of a reconnecting current sheet. All repeated orbits demonstrated evidence of a plasma boundary by the decrease in electron differential flux above 100 eV when moving into regions dominated by the crustal magnetic field, and coincided with the measured magnetic field strength being double the undisturbed crustal magnetic field. We argue this forms evidence of magnetic reconnection between crustal magnetic fields and draped solar wind magnetic field (from ionosphere or magnetosheath) at a ''mini-magnetopause'' type boundary on the dayside of Mars. Similar electron pitch angle distributions observed during the large-scale flux rope, current sheet crossings, and regions of radial crustal magnetic field, suggest these regions share a common magnetic field topology for the trapping of magnetosheath particles on open crustal magnetic fields on the dayside of Mars. As such, indicates a trapping quadrupole magnetic field exist either at the magnetic reconnection X-line region or where open crustal magnetic fields meet oppositely directed solar wind magnetic field. At a time when the draped solar wind magnetic field present in the ionosphere was weaker in strength, the current sheet crossing was observed over an extended region of 2000 km. The extended current sheet demonstrated properties of a hot diamagnetic region and features of a mirror mode structure or magnetic hole, the first time such a structure has been found in the ionosphere of Mars. Observations suggests lower energy electrons could be accelerated by a local process of perpendicular heating/pitch angle diffusion and supports similar results at the Earth's polar cusp reported by Nykyri et al. (Nykyri et al. [2012]. J. Atmos. Sol-Terr. Phys. 87, 70). Such large scale and energetic structures are usually associated with regions beyond a planet's ionosphere, and the occurrence within the ionosphere of Mars may have an important impact on escape processes and the evolution of the martian atmosphere.

show abstract

A chain of magnetic flux ropes in the magnetotail of Mars

Cited by 29 publications

References 24 publications

The Twisted Configuration of the Martian Magnetotail: MAVEN Observations

The Twisted Configuration of the Martian Magnetotail: MAVEN Observations

Origin and Evolution of Plasmoids and Flux Ropes in the Magnetotails of Earth and Mars

Properties of a large-scale flux rope and current sheet region on the dayside of Mars: MGS MAG/ER and MEX ASPERA-3 ELS observations

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About