J. H. Clemmons

Electron-Scale Measurements of Magnetic Reconnection in Space

Probing magnetic reconnection in space Magnetic reconnection occurs when the magnetic field permeating a conductive plasma rapidly rearranges itself, releasing energy and accelerating particles. Reconnection is important in a wide variety of physical systems, but the details of how it occurs are poorly understood. Burch et al. used NASAs Magnetospheric Multiscale mission to probe the plasma properties within a reconnection event in Earths magnetosphere (see the Perspective by Coates). They find that the process is driven by the electron-scale dynamics. The results will aid our understanding of magnetized plasmas, including those in fusion reactors, the solar atmosphere, solar wind, and the magnetospheres of Earth and other planets. Science, this issue p. 10.1126/science.aaf2939; see also p. 1176 Magnetic reconnection is driven by the electron-scale dynamics occurring within magnetized plasmas. INTRODUCTION Magnetic reconnection is a physical process occurring in plasmas in which magnetic energy is explosively converted into heat and kinetic energy. The effects of reconnection—such as solar flares, coronal mass ejections, magnetospheric substorms and auroras, and astrophysical plasma jets—have been studied theoretically, modeled with computer simulations, and observed in space. However, the electron-scale kinetic physics, which controls how magnetic field lines break and reconnect, has up to now eluded observation. RATIONALE To advance understanding of magnetic reconnection with a definitive experiment in space, NASA developed and launched the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission in March 2015. Flying in a tightly controlled tetrahedral formation, the MMS spacecraft can sample the magnetopause, where the interplanetary and geomagnetic fields reconnect, and make detailed measurements of the plasma environment and the electric and magnetic fields in the reconnection region. Because the reconnection dissipation region at the magnetopause is thin (a few kilometers) and moves rapidly back and forth across the spacecraft (10 to 100 km/s), high-resolution measurements are needed to capture the microphysics of reconnection. The most critical measurements are of the three-dimensional electron distributions, which must be made every 30 ms, or 100 times the fastest rate previously available. RESULTS On 16 October 2015, the MMS tetrahedron encountered a reconnection site on the dayside magnetopause and observed (i) the conversion of magnetic energy to particle kinetic energy; (ii) the intense current and electric field that causes the dissipation of magnetic energy; (iii) crescent-shaped electron velocity distributions that carry the current; and (iv) changes in magnetic topology. The crescent-shaped features in the velocity distributions (left side of the figure) are the result of demagnetization of solar wind electrons as they flow into the reconnection site, and their acceleration and deflection by an outward-pointing electric field that is set up at the magnetopause boundary by plasma density gradients. As they are deflected in these fields, the solar wind electrons mix in with magnetospheric electrons and are accelerated along a meandering path that straddles the boundary, picking up the energy released in annihilating the magnetic field. As evidence of the predicted interconnection of terrestrial and solar wind magnetic fields, the crescent-shaped velocity distributions are diverted along the newly connected magnetic field lines in a narrow layer just at the boundary. This diversion along the field is shown in the right side of the figure. CONCLUSION MMS has yielded insights into the microphysics underlying the reconnection between interplanetary and terrestrial magnetic fields. The persistence of the characteristic crescent shape in the electron distributions suggests that the kinetic processes causing magnetic field line reconnection are dominated by electron dynamics, which produces the electric fields and currents that dissipate magnetic energy. The primary evidence for this magnetic dissipation is the appearance of an electric field and a current that are parallel to one another and out of the plane of the figure. MMS has measured this electric field and current, and has identified the important role of electron dynamics in triggering magnetic reconnection. Electron dynamics controls the reconnection between the terrestrial and solar magnetic fields. The process of magnetic reconnection has been a long-standing mystery. With fast particle measurements, NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission has measured how electron dynamics controls magnetic reconnection. The data in the circles show electrons with velocities from 0 to 104 km/s carrying current out of the page on the left side of the X-line and then flowing upward and downward along the reconnected magnetic field on the right side. The most intense fluxes are red and the least intense are blue. The plot in the center shows magnetic field lines and out-of-plane currents derived from a numerical plasma simulation using the parameters observed by MMS. Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental physical process in plasmas whereby stored magnetic energy is converted into heat and kinetic energy of charged particles. Reconnection occurs in many astrophysical plasma environments and in laboratory plasmas. Using measurements with very high time resolution, NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission has found direct evidence for electron demagnetization and acceleration at sites along the sunward boundary of Earth’s magnetosphere where the interplanetary magnetic field reconnects with the terrestrial magnetic field. We have (i) observed the conversion of magnetic energy to particle energy; (ii) measured the electric field and current, which together cause the dissipation of magnetic energy; and (iii) identified the electron population that carries the current as a result of demagnetization and acceleration within the reconnection diffusion/dissipation region.

On low‐altitude particle acceleration and intense electric fields and their relationship to black aurora

Recent findings by the Freja satellite have shown the existence of extremely intense (1–2 V/m) and small-scale (1 km) diverging electric fields which are interpreted to be associated with east–west aligned dark striations or black auroral curls. Precipitating or transversely energized ions, downward field-aligned currents carried by upward fluxes of ionospheric electrons and dropouts of energetic electron precipitation, are found to be characteristic features of such events. A comparison of these characteristics to those of the aurora point at a symmetry between the aurora and the black aurora, the aurora being associated with negative divergence of the electric field and the black aurora with positive divergence. The diverging field events typically occur during winter conditions within the midnight to early morning sector of the auroral oval. Estimates of the ambient conductivity due to solar EUV radiation for each of these events show a clear anticorrelation with the electric field magnitude. The black auroral structures are likely to be associated with localized ionospheric density depletions below that of the ambient density and caused by the upward flow of ionospheric electrons. The efficiency by which such density holes are created in regions of downward field-aligned current flow have recently been demonstrated in model studies. The electric field magnitudes are found to decrease with the scale size, not inversely as suggested in recent theoretical work but with a power law exponent of 0.6–0.8. At lower altitudes (around 800 km) the maximum intensities for a majority of the events are in the range of values that have been reported from rocket and radar measurements in the ionosphere, i.e., around 150–200 mV/m. However, close to magnetic midnight and during winter conditions small-scale diverging electric fields of 1 V/m are occasionally found to exist down to at least 800 km. We suggest that the diverging electric fields observed by Freja are associated with low-altitude and narrow (≈1–2 km) potential structures similar to the auroral potential structures at higher altitude but associated with a positive space charge and a downward parallel electric field. This is supported by Freja observations of narrow upward beams of 2 keV electrons in good agreement with a 2 kV positive peak in the electrostatic potential for a black aurora event. The existence of a downward parallel electric field at low altitudes is also supported by low-altitude observations by the S3–3 and Viking satellites. If such low-altitude potential structures do exist as our results suggest, an outstanding problem for future investigation is how they may be formed and maintained.

Broadband ELF plasma emission during auroral energization: 1. Slow ion acoustic waves

High-resolution measurements by the Freja spacecraft of broadband extremely low frequency (BB-ELF) emission from dc up to the lower hybrid frequency (a few kHz) are reported from regions of transverse ion acceleration (TAI) and broad-energy suprathermal electron bursts (STEB) occuring in the topside ionospheric auroral regions. A gradual transition of the broadband emission occurs near the local O+ cyclotron frequency (ƒO+ ≈ 25 Hz) from predominantly electromagnetic below this frequency to mostly electrostatic above this frequency. The emission below 200 Hz often reach amplitudes up to several hundred mV/m and density perturbations (δn/n) of tens of %. An improved analysis technique is presented, based on the quantity |δE/(δn/n)| versus frequency and applied to the Freja plasma wave measurements. The method can be used to infer the dispersion relation for the measured emission as well as give estimates of the thermal plasma temperatures. The BB-ELF emission is found to consist partly of plasma waves with an ion Boltzmann response, which is interpreted as originating from the so-called slow ion acoustic wave mode (SIA). This emission is associated with large bulk ion (O+) temperatures of up to 30 eV and low electron temperatures (1–2 eV) and therefore occurs during conditions when Te/Ti ≪ 1. The BB-ELF emissions also contain other wave mode components, which are not equally easy to identify, even though it is reasonably certain that ion acoustic/cyclotron waves are measured. The ion Boltzmann component is characterized by a dominantly perpendicular polarization with respect to the Earths magnetic field direction and a small magnetic component with amplitudes around 0.1–1 nT. The ion Boltzmann component dominates the lower-frequency part (30–400 Hz) of the BB-ELF emissions. The BB-ELF emission have often an enhanced spectral power when certain waveform signatures, interpreted as solitary kinetic Alfven waves (SKAW), or when large-amplitude electric fields, possibly related to black aurora, are encountered in regions often associated with large-scale auroral density depletions. A scenario where the SKAW provides the original free energy and via the BB-ELF emission causes intense transverse ion heating (TAI) is suggested.

Correlation between core ion energization, suprathermal electron bursts, and broadband ELF plasma waves

Observations of the lowest energy or core ions provide a particularly sensitive measure of the early stages of auroral ion energization. Freja satellite observations of 0-20 eV core ions in the topside auroral ionosphere and cusp/cleft show signs of heating within both regions of VLF hiss and broadband ELF plasma waves. However, heating to several eV or more is associated predominantly with the ELF waves. A correlation analysis of wave and core ion data formed from orbital segments shows that, on average, correlations are highest for wave frequencies below several hundred Hz, and less at VLF hiss frequencies. A similar analysis shows a higher correlation between electron precipitation and ion heating for electron energies below several hundred eV (i.e., the energies associated with suprathermal electron bursts) and a lower correlation above the 1 keV energies associated with auroral inverted-Vs. Signs of core ion heating begin to appear when wave power at the O + gyrofrequency exceeds about 10- (mV m -1 ) 2 /Hz, and when the integrated field-aligned electron flux exceeds a few times 10 7 cm -2 s -1 sr -1 , This electron energy flux threshold is at least an order of magnitude lower than previously inferred from earlier studies comparing suprathermal electron fluxes and energetic ions. Almost all observed heating events occur during enhanced or active geomagnetic conditions; i.e., K p > 4. While the most intense core ion heating is correlated with broadband ELF waves, we also present one example of weak ion heating of a few eV in a region of VLF auroral hiss.

Cavity resonators and Alfvén resonance cones observed on Freja

Multiresolution wavelet analysis of magnetic field, electric field, and plasma density records taken on Freja during strong auroral events shows evidence for cavity Alfven resonators in the topside ...

Ion cyclotron heating in the dayside magnetosphere

Observations of waves and particles obtained by the Freja satellite at altitudes around 1700 km in the dayside high-latitude magnetosphere are used to study ion energization. We find that ions, inc ...

Van Allen Probes show that the inner radiation zone contains no MeV electrons: ECT/MagEIS data

We present Van Allen Probe observations of electrons in the inner radiation zone. The measurements were made by the Energetic Particle, Composition, and Thermal Plasma/Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) sensors that were designed to measure electrons with the ability to remove unwanted signals from penetrating protons, providing clean measurements. No electrons >900 keV were observed with equatorial fluxes above background (i.e., >0.1 el/(cm2 s sr keV)) in the inner zone. The observed fluxes are compared to the AE9 model and CRRES observations. Electron fluxes <200 keV exceeded the AE9 model 50% fluxes and were lower than the higher-energy model fluxes. Phase space density radial profiles for 1.3 ≤ L* < 2.5 had mostly positive gradients except near L*~2.1, where the profiles for μ = 20–30 MeV/G were flat or slightly peaked. The major result is that MagEIS data do not show the presence of significant fluxes of MeV electrons in the inner zone while current radiation belt models and previous publications do.

The TESP electron spectrometer and correlator (F7) on Freja

The two-dimensional electron spectrometer on Freja consists of a ‘top-hat’-type electrostatic analyzer with the addition of entrance aperture deflection plates. The field of view of the concentric-hemisphere analyzer is modified from a plane to a cone up to 25° from this plane by applicaiton of bipolar high voltages to the deflection plates. Fast high-voltage sweeps allow full 10 eV–25 KeV, 500-point distribution function measurements in 32 ms. Constant-energy or limited energy-sweep modes allow time resolutions down to 1 ms.

Observations of an upward-directed electron beam with the perpendicular temperature of the cold ionosphere

The Freja TESP electron spectrometer has repeatedly observed similar to 100 eV - 1 keV upward-directed, anti-field-aligned electron beams near 1700 km altitude in the auroral zone. A particularly i ...

Ionospheric signature of the cusp as seen by incoherent scatter radar

Measurements with the Sondre Stromfjord incoherent scatter radar, co-ordinated with the observations by the Freja satellite, have been performed during three campaigns, April 1993, February 1994, and May–June 1994. Radar signatures of various types of magnetosheath particle injections in the cusp-cleft region are investigated. The measurement days represent very different geomagnetic conditions, from very quiet to a Kp index of 7+. On three occasions both Freja and the radar detected the cusp. A unique cusp signature is found for a relatively stable cusp, distinguishing it from the many other soft precipitation features seen around noon. The signature includes extremely high electron temperatures in a latitudinally well-defined region with a sharp equatorward border, some F region electron density enhancement, ion outflow, and mainly poleward plasma flow. Enhanced ion temperatures are also seen in the vicinity of, but not exactly coincident with, the electron temperature enhancements. Other day side precipitation features observed with an intense soft component are narrow arcs, which usually have an accompanying accelerated electron component of several hundred eV to some keV energy. These are typically seen in, or bordering, convection regions where the plasma flow vorticity implies upward field-aligned currents.