Observation of the large‐amplitude and fast‐damped plasma sheet flapping triggered by reconnection‐induced ballooning instability
File(s)2020JA028218RR_Merged_PDF.pdf (4.09 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
In this study, we reported the large‐amplitude and fast‐damped flapping of the plasma sheet, which co‐occurred with magnetic reconnection. Data from the Double Star TC‐1 and Cluster satellites were used to analyze the features of the plasma sheet flapping 1.4 RE earthward of an ongoing magnetic reconnection event. The flapping was rapidly damped, and its amplitude decreased from the magnetohydrodynamics scale to the subion scale in 5 min. The variation in the flapping period (from 224 to 20 s) indicated that the source of the flapping had highly dynamic temporal characteristics. The plasma sheet flapping propagated duskward through a kink‐like wave with a velocity of 100 km/s, which was in agreement with the group velocity of the ballooning perturbation. A correlation analysis between the magnetic reconnection and plasma sheet flapping indicated that the magnetic reconnection likely facilitated the occurrence of ballooning instability by altering the state of plasma in the downstream plasma sheet. In this regard, the reconnection‐induced ballooning instability could be a potential mechanism to generate the flapping motion of the plasma sheet.
Date Issued
2020-09-11
Date Acceptance
2020-09-04
Citation
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 2020, 125 (9), pp.1-11
ISSN
2169-9380
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Start Page
1
End Page
11
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Volume
125
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
©2020. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. This is the accepted version of the following article: Zhang, Y. C., Dai, L., Rong, Z. J., Wang, C., Rème, H., Dandouras, I., et al. (2020). Observation of the large‐amplitude and fast‐damped plasma sheet flapping triggered by reconnection‐induced ballooning instability. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 125, e2020JA028218, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JA028218
Sponsor
European Space Agency / Estec
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
European Space Agency / Estec
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Identifier
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020JA028218
Grant Number
RES/PSS/NR/bc/337/2004
PPA/R/S/1999/00488
RES-PSS/NR/039-2008
ST/H00419X/1
ST/G008272/1
ST/I000623/1
ST/J004553/1
ST/L001276/1
ST/M003116/1
ST/N002784/1
ST/P003427/1
ST/T000260/1
Subjects
0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences
0401 Atmospheric Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2020-09-11