Ion-scale secondary flux-ropes generated by magnetopause reconnection as resolved by MMS
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Published version
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
New Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations of small-scale (~ 7 ion inertial length radius) flux transfer events (FTEs) at the dayside magnetopause are reported. The 10 km MMS tetrahedron size enables their structure and properties to be calculated using a variety of multi-spacecraft techniques, allowing them to be identified as flux ropes, whose flux content is small (~22 kWb). The current density, calculated using plasma and magnetic field measurements independently, is found to be filamentary. Inter-comparison of the plasma moments with electric and magnetic field measurements reveals structured non-frozen-in ion behavior. The data are further compared with a particle-in-cell simulation. It is concluded that these small-scale flux ropes, which are not seen to be growing, represent a distinct class of FTE which is generated on the magnetopause by secondary reconnection.
Date Issued
2016-05-28
Date Acceptance
2016-04-29
Citation
Geophysical Research Letters, 2016, 43 (10), pp.4716-4724
ISSN
1944-8007
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
Start Page
4716
End Page
4724
Journal / Book Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
43
Issue
10
Copyright Statement
© 2016 The Authors. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council [2006-2012]
Grant Number
ST/K001051/1
ST/K001051/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Geology
TRANSFER EVENTS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
ISLANDS
flux rope
magnetic reconnection
magnetopause
magnetospheric multiscale
secondary island
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2016-05-02