Charles J. Farrugia

What are flux transfer events

Abstract We argue that surges in the reconnection rate on the magnetopause give rise to bubble-like regions of plasma containing a twisted field with energetic streaming particles in the outer layers. We propose that flux transfer events observed on spacecraft are the result of passage through or nearby such bubbles. All important observational features of flux transfer events fit qualitatively well with the model. Predictions of phenomena in the ionosphere associated with FTEs based on our model are substantially different from those predicted on earlier models such as Russell and Elphics; events could have a much larger footprint than believed hitherto. Correspondingly, predictions of the electromotive force imposed around the terrestrial polar cap by FTE occurrence may need upward revision.

A classification of dayside auroral forms and activities as a function of interplanetary magnetic field orientation

We present a classification of auroral forms in the dayside high - latitude ionosphere, based on ground observations from Svalbard. Having sorted the different auroral forms by magnetic local time (MLT) and morphological and optical spectral characteristics, we then study them as a function of the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). We find that the IMF clock angle θ is a good parameter with which to order the different dayside auroras. This is illustrated by two case examples covering the whole dayside: (1) the 4-hour-long passage of the sheath region of the January 10 – 11, 1997, magnetic cloud and (2) a 10-hour-long interval on January 12, 1997, during passage of the corotating stream overtaking the cloud. A variety of IMF conditions were realized. We identify the following three auroral configurations in the cusp region and the IMF clock angle regimes in which they occur: (1) In the clock angle range θ ∼ 90° the high - latitude aurora disappears, and only the low - latitude forms remain. These latter forms manifest themselves as quasiperiodic sequences of moving bands or band fragments within ∼ 73° – 78°MLAT (called poleward moving auroral forms) or quasi - steady auroral bands with east - west moving forms at low latitudes (< 73°MLAT). Strong asymmetries in auroral forms and motions are related to the east - west component (By) of the IMF. The above auroral configurations are discussed in terms of current knowledge on particle precipitation, IMF - related, field - aligned currents, and corresponding modes of solar wind - magnetosphere coupling. We find that the time history of the basic magnetopause coupling modes is manifested in the dayside aurora. We identify candidate auroral signatures of both quasi - steady and pulsed reconnection processes occurring at either low or high magnetopause latitudes. Additional auroral forms in the dawn and dusk sectors are discussed in terms of processes in a closed magnetospheric model, such as the Kelvin - Helmholtz instability.

PRESSURE-DRIVEN MAGNETOPAUSE MOTIONS AND ATTENDANT RESPONSE ON THE GROUND

The terrestrial magnetopause suffered considerable sudden changes in its location on 9–10 September 1978. These magnetopause motions were accompanied by disturbances of the geomagnetic field on the ground. We present a study of the magnetopause motions and the ground magnetic signatures using, for the latter, 10 s averaged data from 14 high latitude ground magnetometer stations. Observations in the solar wind (from IMP 8) are employed and the motions of the magnetopause are monitored directly by the spacecraft ISEE 1 and 2. With these coordinated observations we are able to show that it is the sudden changes in the solar wind dynamic pressure that are responsible for the disturbances seen on the ground. At some ground stations we see evidence of a “ringing” of the magnetospheric cavity, while at others only the initial impulse is evident. We note that at some stations field perturbations closely match the hypothesized ground signatures of flux transfer events. In accordance with more recent work in the area (e.g. Potemra et al., 1989, J. geophys. Res., in press), we argue that causes other than impulsive reeonnection may produce the twin ionospheric flow vortex originally proposed as a flux transfer even signature.

Field and flow perturbations outside the reconnected field line region in flux transfer events: theory

treat the case of incompressible flow and rigid flux tube boundary. We find that the external field perturbations are practically indistinguishable from those observed in the data and hitherto generally ascribed to actual penetration by the spacecraft of the open field line region. The magnetic signature of draping involves all three components of the magnetic field and is accompanied by changes in field strength. The perturbations in the plasma velocity are related to those in the magnetic field and there are concomitant pressure disturbances as well. The effect of magnetopause motion is to complicate the signature by introducing asymmetries and multiple extrema in the variations of the components. A discussion of observations corroborating the theory will appear separately.

Observations of an extreme storm in interplanetary space caused by successive coronal mass ejections

Space weather refers to dynamic conditions on the Sun and in the space environment of the Earth, which are often driven by solar eruptions and their subsequent interplanetary disturbances. It has been unclear how an extreme space weather storm forms and how severe it can be. Here we report and investigate an extreme event with multi-point remote-sensing and in situ observations. The formation of the extreme storm showed striking novel features. We suggest that the in-transit interaction between two closely launched coronal mass ejections resulted in the extreme enhancement of the ejecta magnetic field observed near 1 AU at STEREO A. The fast transit to STEREO A (in only 18.6 h), or the unusually weak deceleration of the event, was caused by the preconditioning of the upstream solar wind by an earlier solar eruption. These results provide a new view crucial to solar physics and space weather as to how an extreme space weather event can arise from a combination of solar eruptions.

STEREO and Wind observations of a fast ICME flank triggering a prolonged geomagnetic storm on 5-7 April 2010

On 5 April 2010 an interplanetary (IP) shock was detected by the Wind spacecraft ahead of Earth, followed by a fast (average speed 650 km/s) IP coronal mass ejection (ICME). During the subsequent moderate geomagnetic storm (minimum Dst = -72 nT, maximum Kp=8-), communication with the Galaxy 15 satellite was lost. We link images from STEREO/SECCHI to the near-Earth in situ observations and show that the ICME did not decelerate much between Sun and Earth. The ICME flank was responsible for a long storm growth phase. This type of glancing collision was for the first time directly observed with the STEREO Heliospheric Imagers. The magnetic cloud (MC) inside the ICME cannot be modeled with approaches assuming an invariant direction. These observations confirm the hypotheses that parts of ICMEs classified as (1) long-duration MCs or (2) magnetic-cloud-like (MCL) structures can be a consequence of a spacecraft trajectory through the ICME flank.

Magnetic Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability at the Sun

Flows and instabilities play a major role in the dynamics of magnetized plasmas including the solar corona, magnetospheric and heliospheric boundaries, cometary tails, and astrophysical jets. The nonlinear effects, multi-scale and microphysical interactions inherent to the flow-driven instabilities, are believed to play a role, e.g., in plasma entry across a discontinuity, generation of turbulence, and enhanced drag. However, in order to clarify the efficiency of macroscopic instabilities in these processes, we lack proper knowledge of their overall morphological features. Here we show the first observations of the temporally and spatially resolved evolution of the magnetic Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the solar corona. Unprecedented high-resolution imaging observations of vortices developing at the surface of a fast coronal mass ejecta are taken by the new Solar Dynamics Observatory, validating theories of the nonlinear dynamics involved. The new findings are a cornerstone for developing a unifying theory on flow-driven instabilities in rarefied magnetized plasmas, which is important for understanding the fundamental processes at work in key regions of the Sun-Earth system.

Cusp/cleft auroral activity in relation to solar wind dynamic pressure, interplanetary magnetic field Bz and By

Continuous optical observations of cusp/cleft auroral activities within ≈ 09-15 MLT and 70-76° magnetic latitude are studied in relation to changes in solar wind dynamic pressure and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) variability. The observed latitudinal movements of the cusp/cleft aurora in response to IMF Bz changes may be explained as an effect of a variable magnetic field intensity in the outer dayside magnetosphere associated with the changing intensity of region 1 field-aligned currents and associated closure currents. Ground magnetic signatures related to such currents were observed in the present case (January 10, 1993). Strong, isolated enhancements in solar wind dynamic pressure (Δp/p ≥ 0.5) gave rise to equatorward shifts of the cusp/cleft aurora, characteristic auroral transients, and distinct ground magnetic signatures of enhanced convection at cleft latitudes. A sequence of auroral events of ≈ 5-10 min recurrence time, moving eastward along the poleward boundary of the persistent cusp/cleft aurora in the ≈ 10-14 MLT sector, during negative IMF Bz and By, conditions, were found to be correlated with brief pulses in solar wind dynamic pressure (0.1 < Δp/p < 0.5). Simultaneous photometer observations from Ny Alesund, Svalbard, and Danmarkshavn, Greenland, show that the events often appeared on the prenoon side (≈ 10-12 MLT), before moving into the postnoon sector in the case we study here, when IMF By < 0. In other cases, similar auroral event sequences have been observed to move westward in the prenoon sector, during intervals of positive By. Thus a strong prenoon/postnoon asymmetry of event occurence and motion pattern related to the IMF By polarity is observed. We find that this category of auroral event sequence is stimulated bursts of electron precipitation that originate from magnetosheath plasma that has accessed the dayside magnetosphere in the noon or near-noon sector, possibly at high latitudes, partly governed by the IMF orientation as well as by solar wind dynamic pressure pulses.

Effect of wave-particle interactions on ring current evolution for January 10-11, 1997: Initial results

We simulate the ring current evolution during the magnetic storm caused by Earth passage of the January 1997 magnetic cloud. Compared to previous studies, we include for the first time energy diffusion caused by wave-particle interactions. The modeled Dst index agrees reasonably well with the measured one, corrected for magnetopause currents and currents induced in the solid Earth. We compare H+distributions calculated from our model with those measured by the HYDRA instrument on the POLAR spacecraft and find that: a) the agreement between theory and data at large Lshells (L>5.5) is very good; b) although the agreement at low Lshells is improved when scattering by EMIC waves is included, the result is not entirely satisfactory, suggesting that either transport in a more realistic magnetospheric electric field or additional loss processes should be considered.

Dayside auroral configurations: Responses to southward and northward rotations of the interplanetary magnetic field

We report specific types of daytime auroral activities occurring in response to certain rotations of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The IMF rotations we focus on consist of a sharp southward turning from an initial northward orientation, followed by slower rotations back to an intermediate state, which is dominated by the By component (small Bz). When the IMF turned from north to south, the day side auroral configuration changed from one typical of northward conditions to one typical of southward conditions. The type 2 cusp aurora in the north (∼78°–79°magnetic latitude) was replaced by activation of a sequence of moving auroral forms (type 1 cusp aurora) at lower latitudes, each form appearing at the equatorward boundary of the previous one, resulting in ∼100- to 200-km total displacements of the auroral equatorward boundary in the cusp region during intervals of ∼5- to 10-min duration. This auroral activity is accompanied by enhancement of ionospheric convection and onset of magnetic bays on the ground. Since southward rotations of the IMF are expected to give rise to enhancements of the magnetopause reconnection rate, we conclude that these auroral/convection events represent distinct ionospheric signatures of such reconnection rate enhancements. When the IMF turned partially northward again, into an intermediate state, the aurora responded as expected, i.e., the equatorward auroral displacement was halted or reversed, and the type 2 aurora reappeared. The coexistence of the types 1 and 2 cusp auroras in the intermediate state is interpreted in terms of the simultaneous occurrence of reconnections at low and high magnetopause latitudes. The dynamical configurations of particle precipitation and ionospheric convection in the cusp region in such cases are discussed.