Magnetospheric Multiscale analysis of intense field-aligned Poynting flux near the Earth's plasma sheet boundary
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Accepted version
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The Magnetospheric Multiscale mission is employed to examine intense Poynting flux directed along the background magnetic field toward Earth, which reaches amplitudes of nearly 2 mW/m2. The event is located within the plasma sheet but likely near the boundary at a geocentric distance of 9 RE in association with bulk flow signatures. The fluctuations have wavelengths perpendicular to the magnetic field of 124–264 km (compared to an ion gyroradius of 280 km), consistent with highly kinetic Alfvén waves. While the wave vector remains highly perpendicular to the magnetic field, there is substantial variation of the direction in the perpendicular plane. The field-aligned Poynting flux may be associated with kinetic Alfvén waves released along the separatrix by magnetotail reconnection and/or the radiation of waves excited by bursty bulk flow braking and may provide a means through which energy released by magnetic reconnection is transferred to the auroral region.
Date Issued
2017-08-15
Date Acceptance
2017-07-05
Citation
Geophysical Research Letters, 2017, 44 (14), pp.7106-7113
ISSN
1944-8007
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Start Page
7106
End Page
7113
Journal / Book Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
44
Issue
14
Copyright Statement
©2017. The Authors.This is an open access article under theterms of the Creative CommonsAttribution License, which permits use,distribution and reproduction in anymedium, provided the original work isproperly cited.
License URL
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Grant Number
ST/K001051/1
ST/N000692/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Geology
HIGH-SPEED FLOWS
ALFVEN WAVES
R-E
LAYER
TAIL
ACCELERATION
SPACECRAFT
AURORA
POLAR
POWER
MD Multidisciplinary
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Publication Status
Published