Cluster multispacecraft observations at the high-latitude duskside magnetopause: implications for continuous and component magnetic reconnection

Retinò, Alessandro; Cattaneo, M. B. Bavassano; Marcucci, M. F.; Vaivads, A.; André, Mats; Khotyaintsev, Yuri V.; Phan, T.; Pallocchia, G.; Rème, H.; Möbius, E.; Klecker, B.; Carlson, C. W.; McCarthy, Michael; Korth, A.; Lundin, R.; Balogh, A.

doi:10.5194/angeo-23-461-2005

Cited by 51 publications

(69 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Because signatures of reconnection (e.g. plasma jets) are localized in the thin magnetopause and can therefore only be observed for several minutes as a spacecraft traverses the layer, only a limited number of reports have shown evidence of continuous reconnection (Gosling et al, 1982;Phan et al, 2004;Retinò et al, 2005;. The fact that continuous reconnection can take place under both southward (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Phan et al, 2004 and this paper) and northward IMF (e.g. Retinò et al, 2005;Frey et al, 2003) conditions shows that the temporal nature of reconnection is independent of the polarity of IMF and is more likely controlled by externally driven processes or by changes in conditions internal to the magnetosphere.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In short, past research efforts have revealed many features associated with accelerated flows, and therefore the manifestations and characteristics of magnetic reconnection. However, despite many reported accelerated plasma flow events in the literature, observation of accelerated plasma flows with a long duration has been rare (Gosling et al, 1982;Phan et al, 2004;Retinò et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cluster observation of continuous reconnection at dayside magnetopause in the vicinity of cusp

Zheng

Le²,

Slavin³

et al. 2005

Ann. Geophys.

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Abstract. In this paper, we present a case study of continuous reconnection at the dayside magnetopause observed by the Cluster spacecraft. On 1 April 2003, the four Cluster spacecraft experienced multiple encounters with the Earth's dayside magnetopause under a fairly stable southwestward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Accelerated plasma flows, whose magnitude and direction are consistent with the predictions of the reconnection theory (the Walén relation), were observed at and around the magnetopause current layer for a prolonged interval of ∼3 h at two types of magnetopause crossings, one with small magnetic shears and the other one with large magnetic shears. Reversals in the Y component of ion bulk flow between the magnetosheath and magnetopause current layer and acceleration of magnetosheath electrons were also observed. Kinetic signatures using electron and ion velocity distributions corroborate the interpretation of continuous magnetic reconnection. This event provides strong in-situ evidence that magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause can be continuous for many hours. However, the reconnection process appeared to be very dynamic rather than steady, despite the steady nature of the IMF. Detailed analysis using multi-spacecraft magnetic field and plasma measurements shows that the dynamics and structure of the magnetopause current layer/boundary can be very complex. For example, highly variable magnetic and electric fields were observed in the magnetopause current layer. Minimum variance analysis shows that the magnetopause normal deviates from the model normal. Surface waves resulting from the reconnection process may be involved in the oscillation of the magnetopause.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cluster observation of continuous reconnection at dayside magnetopause in the vicinity of cusp

Zheng

Le²,

Slavin³

et al. 2005

Ann. Geophys.

Self Cite

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“…At the magnetopause spacecraft crossings of the diffusion region can occur either along the outflow direction (e.g., Retinò et al 2005) or normal to the current sheet (e.g., Mozer et al 2002). For spacecraft crossings of the diffusion region along the outflow direction (e.g., Retinò et al 2005), some of the large-scale signatures, namely the reversals of outflow jets ( Fig. 3(a)) and normal magnetic field, are similar to those described above for symmetric reconnection in the magnetotail.…”

Section: Magnetopausementioning

confidence: 99%

Establishing the Context for Reconnection Diffusion Region Encounters and Strategies for the Capture and Transmission of Diffusion Region Burst Data by MMS

et al. 2015

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This paper describes the efforts of our Inter-Disciplinary Scientist (IDS) team to (a) establish the large-scale context for reconnection diffusion region encounters by MMS at the magnetopause and in the magnetotail, including the distinction between X-line and O-line encounters, that would help the identification of diffusion regions in spacecraft data, and (b) devise possible strategies that can be used by MMS to capture and transmit burst data associated with diffusion region candidates. At the magnetopause we suggest the strategy of transmitting burst data from all magnetopause crossings so that no magnetopause reconnection diffusion regions encountered by the spacecraft will be missed. The strategy is made possible by the MMS mass memory and downlink budget. In the magnetotail, it is estimated that MMS will be able to transmit burst data for all diffusion regions, all reconnection jet fronts (a.k.a. dipolarization fronts) and separatrix encounters, but less than 50 % of reconnection exhausts encountered by the spacecraft. We also discuss automated burst trigger schemes that could capture various reconnection-related phenomena. The identification of candidate diffusion region encounters by the burst trigger schemes will be verified and improved by a Scientist-In-The-Loop (SITL). With the knowledge of the properties of the region surrounding the diffusion region and the combination of automated burst triggers and further optimization by the SITL, MMS should be able to capture most diffusion regions it encounters.

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“…(Ions reflected at the reconnection site have been observed by several authors, e.g. Gosling et al, 1991;Fuselier et al, 1991;Retinò et al, 2005). Using the estimate of the Alfvén speed at the reconnection site obtained above, we see that the observed separation between the two peaks is smaller than 2 · V A , thus excluding the interpretation of sheath plasma reflection at the reconnection site.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Global reconnection topology as inferred from plasma observations inside Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices

et al. 2010

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Abstract. During a long lasting period of northward interplanetary magnetic field and high solar wind speed (above 700 km/s), the Cluster spacecraft go across a number of very large rolled-up Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) vortices at the dusk magnetopause, close to the terminator. The peculiarity of the present event is a particular sequence of ions and electrons distribution functions observed repeatedly inside each vortex. In particular, whenever Cluster crosses the current layer inside the vortices, multiple field-aligned ion populations appear, suggesting the occurrence of reconnection. In addition, the ion data display a clear velocity filter effect both at the leading and at the trailing edge of each vortex. This effect is not present in the simultaneous electron data. Unlike other KH studies reported in the literature in which reconnection occurs within the vortices, in the present event the observations are not compatible with local reconnection, but are accounted for by lobe reconnection occurring along an extended X-line at the terminator in the Southern Hemisphere. The reconnected field lines "sink" across the magnetopause and then convect tailward-duskward where they become embedded in the vortices. Another observational evidence is the detected presence of solar wind plasma on the magnetospheric side of the vortices, which confirms unambiguously the occurrence of mass transport across the magnetopause already reported in the literature. The proposed reconnection scenario accounts for all the observational aspects, regarding both the transport process and the kinetic signatures.

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Cluster multispacecraft observations at the high-latitude duskside magnetopause: implications for continuous and component magnetic reconnection

Cited by 51 publications

References 35 publications

Cluster observation of continuous reconnection at dayside magnetopause in the vicinity of cusp

Cluster observation of continuous reconnection at dayside magnetopause in the vicinity of cusp

Establishing the Context for Reconnection Diffusion Region Encounters and Strategies for the Capture and Transmission of Diffusion Region Burst Data by MMS

Global reconnection topology as inferred from plasma observations inside Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices

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