868 research outputs found
Evolution of kinklike fluctuations associated with ion pickup within reconnection outflows in the Earth's magnetotail
Magnetic reconnection (MR) in Earth's magnetotail is usually followed by a
systemwide redistribution of explosively released kinetic and thermal energy.
Recently, multispacecraft observations from the THEMIS mission were used to
study localized explosions associated with MR in the magnetotail so as to
understand subsequent Earthward propagation of MR outbursts during substorms.
Here we investigate plasma and magnetic field fluctuations/structures
associated with MR exhaust and ion-ion kink mode instability during a well
documented MR event. Generation, evolution and fading of kinklike oscillations
are followed over a distance of 70 000 km from the reconnection site in the
midmagnetotail to the more dipolar region near the Earth. We have found that
the kink oscillations driven by different ion populations within the outflow
region can be at least 25 000 km from the reconnection site.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure
On the characterization of magnetic reconnection in global MHD simulations
The conventional definition of reconnection rate as the electric field parallel to an x-line is problematic in global MHD simulations for several reasons: the x-line itself may be hard to find in a non-trivial geometry such as at the magnetopause, and the lack of realistic resistivity modelling leaves us without reliable non-convective electric field. In this article we describe reconnection characterization methods that avoid those problems and are practical to apply in global MHD simulations. We propose that the reconnection separator line can be identified as the region where magnetic field lines of different topological properties meet, rather than by local considerations. The global convection associated with reconnection is then quantified by calculating the transfer of mass, energy or magnetic field across the boundary of closed and open field line regions. The extent of the diffusion region is determined from the destruction of electromagnetic energy, given by the divergence of the Poynting vector. Integrals of this energy conversion provide a way to estimate the total reconnection efficiency
Global and local disturbances in the magnetotail during reconnection
We examine Cluster observations of a reconnection event at <I>x</I><sub>GSM</sub>=&minus;15.7 <I>R<sub>E</sub></I> in the magnetotail on 11 October 2001, when Cluster recorded the current sheet for an extended period including the entire duration of the reconnection event. The onset of reconnection is associated with a sudden orientation change of the ambient magnetic field, which is also observed simultaneously by Goes-8 at geostationary orbit. Current sheet oscillations are observed both before reconnection and during it. The speed of the flapping motions is found to increase when the current sheet undergoes the transition from quiet to active state, as suggested by an earlier statistical result and now confirmed within one single event. Within the diffusion region both the tailward and earthward parts of the quadrupolar magnetic Hall structure are recorded as an x-line passes Cluster. We report the first observations of the Hall structure conforming to the kinks in the current sheet. This results in relatively strong fluctuations in <I>B<sub>z</sub></I>, which are shown to be the Hall signature tilted in the <I>yz</I> plane with the current sheet
The magnetotail reconnection region in a global MHD simulation
International audienceThis work investigates the nature and the role of magnetic reconnection in a global magnetohydrodynamic simulation of the magnetosphere. We use the Gumics-4 simulation to study reconnection that occurs in the near-Earth region of the current sheet in the magnetotail. We locate the current sheet surface and the magnetic x-line that appears when reconnection starts. We illustrate the difference between quiet and active states of the reconnection region: variations in such quantities as the current sheet thickness, plasma flow velocities, and Poynting vector divergence are strong. A characteristic feature is strong asymmetry caused by non-perpendicular inflows. We determine the reconnection efficiency by the net rate of Poynting flux into the reconnection region. The reconnection efficiency in the simulation is directly proportional to the energy flux into the magnetosphere through the magnetopause: about half of all energy flowing through the magnetosphere is converted from an electromagnetic into a mechanical form in the reconnection region. Thus, the tail reconnection that is central to the magnetospheric circulation is directly driven; the tail does not exhibit a cycle of storage and rapid release of magnetic energy. We find similar behaviour of the tail in both synthetic and real event runs
Supermagnetosonic jets behind a collisionless quasi-parallel shock
The downstream region of a collisionless quasi-parallel shock is structured
containing bulk flows with high kinetic energy density from a previously
unidentified source. We present Cluster multi-spacecraft measurements of this
type of supermagnetosonic jet as well as of a weak secondary shock front within
the sheath, that allow us to propose the following generation mechanism for the
jets: The local curvature variations inherent to quasi-parallel shocks can
create fast, deflected jets accompanied by density variations in the downstream
region. If the speed of the jet is super(magneto)sonic in the reference frame
of the obstacle, a second shock front forms in the sheath closer to the
obstacle. Our results can be applied to collisionless quasi-parallel shocks in
many plasma environments.Comment: accepted to Phys. Rev. Lett. (Nov 5, 2009
From Sun to Interplanetary Space: What is the Pathlength of Solar Energetic Particles?
Solar energetic particles (SEPs), accelerated during solar eruptions, propagate in turbulent solar wind before being
observed with in situ instruments. In order to interpret their origin through comparison with remote sensing
observations of the solar eruption, we thus must deconvolve the transport effects due to the turbulent magnetic
fields from the SEP observations. Recent research suggests that the SEP propagation is guided by the turbulent
meandering of the magnetic fieldlines across the mean magnetic field. However, the lengthening of the distance the
SEPs travel, due to the fieldline meandering, has so far not been included in SEP event analysis. This omission can
cause significant errors in estimation of the release times of SEPs at the Sun. We investigate the distance traveled
by the SEPs by considering them to propagate along fieldlines that meander around closed magnetic islands that
are inherent in turbulent plasma. We introduce a fieldline random walk model which takes into account the
physical scales associated to the magnetic islands. Our method remedies the problem of the diffusion equation
resulting in unrealistically short pathlengths, and the fractal dependence of the pathlength of random walk on the
length of the random-walk step. We find that the pathlength from the Sun to 1au can be below the nominal Parker
spiral length for SEP events taking place at solar longitudes 45E to 60W, whereas the western and behind-the-limb
particles can experience pathlengths longer than 2au due to fieldline meandering
Characterization of sputum biomarkers for asthma-COPD overlap syndrome
Asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) is a commonly encountered chronic airway disease. However, ACOS is still a consensus-based clinical phenotype and the underlying inflammatory mechanisms are inadequately characterized. To clarify the inflammatory mediatypical for ACOS, five biomarkers, namely interleukin (IL)-13, myeloperoxidase (MPO), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), chitinase-like protein (YKL-40), and IL-6, were selected. This study hypothesized that sputum biomarkers relevant for airway inflammation in asthma (IL-13), COPD (MPO, NGAL), or in both asthma and COPD (YKL-40, IL-6) could be used to differentiate ACOS from COPD and asthma. The aim of this study was to characterize the inflammatory profile and improve the recognition of ACOS. Induced sputum levels of IL-13, MPO, NGAL, YKL-40, and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay/Luminex assay in a Finnish discovery cohort (n=90) of nonsmokers, smokers, and patients with asthma, COPD, and ACOS and validated in a Japanese cohort (n=135). The classification accuracy of potential biomarkers was compared with area under the receiver operating characteristic curves. Only sputum NGAL levels could differentiate ACOS from asthma (P<0.001 and P<0.001) and COPD (P<0.05 and P=0.002) in the discovery and replication cohorts, respectively. Sputum NGAL levels were independently correlated with the percentage of pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second predicted in multivariate analysis in the discovery and replication cohorts (P=0.001 and P=0.002, respectively). In conclusion, sputum biomarkers reflecting both airway inflammation and remodeling of the tissue show potential in differentiation between asthma, COPD, and ACOS
Spatial dependence of magnetopause energy transfer : Cluster measurements verifying global simulations
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