Turbulence-generated proton-scale structures in the terrestrial magnetosheath

Recent results of numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations suggest that in collisionless space plasmas turbulence can spontaneously generate thin current sheets. These coherent structures can partially explain intermittency and the non-homogenous distribution of localized plasma heating in turbulence. In this Letter Cluster multi-point observations are used to investigate the distribution of magnetic field discontinuities and the associated small-scale current sheets in the terrestrial magnetosheath downstream of a quasi-parallel bow shock. It is shown experimentally, for the first time, that the strongest turbulence generated current sheets occupy the long tails of probability distribution functions (PDFs) associated with extremal values of magnetic field partial derivatives. During the analyzed one hour long time interval, about a hundred strong discontinuities, possibly proton-scale current sheets were observed.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 819, Number 1, 201

A probabilistic approach to heterogeneity in space plasmas: the case of magnetic field intensity in solar wind

Abstract. Since the early 90s it was shown that Probability Distribution Functions (PDFs) of small scale differences (fluctuations) of several quantities in space plasmas display significant departures from Gaussianity. The non-Gaussian shape of PDFs was ascribed to intermittency and discussed in the framework of intermittent MHD turbulence. Here, we put the attention to the PDF of magnetic field intensity instead of its differences showing how the PDF of such quantity in a quiet solar wind can be related with the occurrence of heterogeneity. In detail, we derive the shape of the PDFs by simple statistical considerations based on the concept of subordination in probability theory. An interpretation and a discussion in terms of existing coherent magnetic structures in a mechanical near-equilibrium state are also presented

Sub-Fluid Models in Dissipative Magneto-Hydrodynamics

International audienceWe address the problem of a description of plasma dynamics by means of magnetohydrodynamic models coupling the macroscopic, large scale fluid behavior, with the microscopic degrees of freedom. Three relevant subjects in this direction are described: the "algebrization" of dissipation in magnetohydrodynamics via the metriplectic formalism, a stochastic field theory for magnetohydrodynamics and a fractal model for fast magnetic reconnection

Statistical analysis of geomagnetic field intensity differences between ASM and VFM instruments onboard Swarm constellation

From the very first measurements made by the magnetometers onboard Swarm satellites launched by European Space Agency (ESA) in late 2013, it emerged a discrepancy between scalar and vector measurements. An accurate analysis of this phenomenon brought to build an empirical model of the disturbance, highly correlated with the Sun incidence angle, and to correct vector data accordingly. The empirical model adopted by ESA results in a significant decrease in the amplitude of the disturbance affecting VFM measurements so greatly improving the vector magnetic data quality. This study is focused on the characterization of the difference between magnetic field intensity measured by the absolute scalar magnetometer (ASM) and that reconstructed using the vector field magnetometer (VFM) installed on Swarm constellation. Applying empirical mode decomposition method, we find the intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) associated with ASM–VFM total intensity differences obtained with data both uncorrected and corrected for the disturbance correlated with the Sun incidence angle. Surprisingly, no differences are found in the nature of the IMFs embedded in the analyzed signals, being these IMFs characterized by the same dominant periodicities before and after correction. The effect of correction manifests in the decrease in the energy associated with some IMFs contributing to corrected data. Some IMFs identified by analyzing the ASM–VFM intensity discrepancy are characterized by the same dominant periodicities of those obtained by analyzing the temperature fluctuations of the VFM electronic unit. Thus, the disturbance correlated with the Sun incidence angle could be still present in the corrected magnetic data. Furthermore, the ASM–VFM total intensity difference and the VFM electronic unit temperature display a maximal shared information with a time delay that depends on local time. Taken together, these findings may help to relate the features of the observed VFM–ASM total intensity difference to the physical characteristics of the real disturbance thus contributing to improve the empirical model proposed for the correction of data

The Weibull functional form for SEP event spectra

The evolution of the kinetic energy spectra of two Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events has been investigated through the Shannon's differential entropy during the different phases of the selected events, as proposed by [1]. Data from LET and HET instruments onboard the STEREO spacecraft were used to cover a wide energy range from ~ 4 MeV to 100 MeV, as well as EPAM and ERNE data, on board the ACE and SOHO spacecraft, respectively, in the range 1.6 ? 112 MeV. The spectral features were found to be consistent with the Weibull like shape, both during the main phase of the SEP events and over their whole duration. Comparison of results obtained for energetic particles accelerated at corotating interaction regions (CIRs) and transient-related interplanetary shocks are presented in the framework of shock acceleration

On Weibull's spectrum of non-relativistic Energetic Particles at ip shocks: observations and theoretical interpretation

Some interplanetary shocks are associated with short-term and sharp particle flux enhancements near the shock front. Such intensity enhancements, known as shock-spike events (SSEs), represent a class of relatively energetic phenomena as they may extend to energies of some tens of MeV or even beyond. Here we present an SSE case study in order to shed light on the nature of the particle acceleration involved in this kind of event. Our observations refer to an SSE registered on 2011 October 3 at 22:23 UT, by STEREO B instrumentation when, at a heliocentric distance of 1.08 au, the spacecraft was swept by a perpendicular shock moving away from the Sun. The main finding from the data analysis is that a Weibull distribution represents a good fitting function to the measured particle spectrum over the energy range from 0.1 to 30 MeV. To interpret such an observational result, we provide a theoretical derivation of the Weibull spectrum in the framework of the acceleration by “killed” stochastic processes exhibiting power-law growth in time of the velocity expectation, such as the classical Fermi process. We find an overall coherence between the experimental values of the Weibull spectrum parameters and their physical meaning within the above scenario. Hence, our approach based on the Weibull distribution proves to be useful for understanding SSEs. With regard to the present event, we also provide an alternative explanation of the Weibull spectrum in terms of shock-surfing acceleration

On the Storm-Substorm Relationship: an Information Theory Approach

Recently, an increasing interest has been developed in the application of information theory to the global magneto-spheric dynamics. Most of these studies are based on the use of Shannon entropy and delayed mutual information to get some insights about the driving of a particular magnetospheric process by another. Here, we put our attention on the storm-substorm relationship by applying the transfer entropy technique intro-duced by Schreiber [2000] to storm and substorm proxies (AL, Dst and SymH indices). The results suggest the existence of a statistical evidence for a transfer of information from substorms to storms

Pressure-gradient current at high latitude from Swarm measurements

The pressure-gradient current is among the weaker ionospheric current systems arising from plasma pressure variations. It is also called diamagnetic current because it produces a magnetic field which is oriented oppositely to the ambient magnetic field, causing its reduction. The magnetic reduction can be revealed in measurements made by low-Earth orbiting satellites flying close to ionospheric plasma regions where rapid changes in density occur. Using geomagnetic field, plasma density and electron temperature measurements recorded on board ESA Swarm A satellite from April 2014 to March 2018, we reconstruct the flow patterns of the pressure-gradient current at high-latitude ionosphere in both hemispheres, and investigate their dependence on magnetic local time, geomagnetic activity, season and solar forcing drivers. Although being small in amplitude these currents appear to be a ubiquitous phenomenon at ionospheric high latitudes characterized by well defined flow patterns, which can cause artifacts in the main field models. Our findings can be used to correct magnetic field measurements for diamagnetic current effect, to improve modern magnetic field models, as well as to understand the impact of ionospheric irregularities on ionospheric dynamics at small-scale sizes of a few tens of kilometers

Time intermittency and spectral features of the geomagnetic field

In the field of geomagnetism a number of studies have been devoted to the investigation of turbulence and intermittency in the outer core fluid motions. Here, in order to obtain information on such phenomena we study the time spectral and self-similarity features of the main geomagnetic field fluctuations as measured on the Earth's surface. The existence of a power law spectrum, characterised by an exponent a˜-11/3, and an anomalous scaling of q-th order structure functions on time scales longer than 5 years, suggests the occurrence of intermittent turbulence rather than classical Kolmogorov turbulence in the fluid core motions. These results are briefly discussed in connection with the existence of a strong magnetic field and drift-wave turbulence

Observations of high-latitude geomagnetic field fluctuations during St. Patrick's Day storm: Swarm and SuperDARN measurements

The aim of this work is to study the properties of the magnetic field's fluctuations produced by ionospheric and magnetospheric electric currents during the St. Patrick's Day geomagnetic storm (17 March 2015). We analyse the scaling features of the external contribution to the horizontal geomagnetic field recorded simultaneously by the three satellites of the Swarm constellation during a period of 13 days (13–25 March 2015). We examine the different latitudinal structure of the geomagnetic field fluctuations and analyse the dynamical changes in the magnetic field scaling features during the development of the geomagnetic storm. Analysis reveals consistent patterns in the scaling properties of magnetic fluctuations and striking changes between the situation before the storm, during the main phase and recovery phase. We discuss these dynamical changes in relation to those of the overall ionospheric polar convection and potential structures as reconstructed using SuperDARN data. Our findings suggest that distinct turbulent regimes characterised the mesoscale magnetic field's fluctuations and that some factors, which are known to influence large-scale fluctuations, have also an influence on mesoscale fluctuations. The obtained results are an example of the capability of geomagnetic field fluctuations data to provide new insights about ionospheric dynamics and ionosphere–magnetosphere coupling. At the same time, these results could open doors for development of new applications where the dynamical changes in the scaling features of the magnetic fluctuations are used as local indicators of magnetospheric conditions