James L. Green

Evidence of high-latitude reconnecting during northward IMF: Hawkeye observations

Reconnection is accepted as an important process for driving the solar wind/magnetospheric interaction although it is not fully understood. In particular, reconnection for northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) at high-latitudes tailward of the cusp, has received little attention in comparison with equatorial reconnection for southward IMF. Using Hawkeye data we present the first direct observations of reconnection at the high-latitude magnetopause (75°) during northward IMF in the form of sunward flowing protons. This flow is nearly field aligned, approximately Alfvenic, and roughly obeys tangential momentum balance. The magnetic field shear is large at the magnetopause and there is a non-zero BN component suggesting the existence of a rotational discontinuity and reconnection. The Hawkeye observations support several recent simulations at least qualitatively in terms of flow directions expected for high-latitude reconnection during northward IMF.

On the origin of whistler mode radiation in the plasmasphere

[1] The origin of whistler mode radiation in the plasmasphere is examined from 3 years of plasma wave observations from the Dynamics Explorer and the Imager for Magnetopauseto-Aurora Global Exploration spacecraft. These data are used to construct plasma wave intensity maps of whistler mode radiation in the plasmasphere. The highest average intensities of the radiation in the wave maps show source locations and/or sites of wave amplification. Each type of wave is classified on the basis of its magnetic latitude and longitude rather than any spectral feature. Equatorial electromagnetic (EM) emissions (30–330 Hz), plasmaspheric hiss (330 Hz to 3.3 kHz), chorus (2–6 kHz), and VLF transmitters (10–50 kHz) are the main types of waves that are clearly delineated in the plasma wave maps. Observations of the equatorial EM emissions show that the most intense region is on or near the magnetic equator in the afternoon sector and that during times of negative Bz (interplanetary magnetic field) the maximum intensity moves from L values of 3 to <2. These observations are consistent with the origin of this emission being particle-wave interactions in or near the magnetic equator. Plasmaspheric hiss shows high intensity at high latitudes and low altitudes (L shells from 2 to 4) and in the magnetic equator with L values from 2 to 3 in the early afternoon sector. The longitudinal distribution of the hiss intensity (excluding the enhancement at the equator) is similar to the distribution of lightning: stronger over continents than over the ocean, stronger in the summer than in the winter, and stronger on the dayside than on the nightside. These observations strongly support lightning as the dominant source for plasmaspheric hiss, which, through particle-wave interactions, maintains the slot region in the radiation belts. The enhancement of hiss at the magnetic equator is consistent with particle-wave interactions. The chorus emissions are most intense on the morningside as previously reported. At frequencies from 10 to 50 kHz, VLF transmitters dominate the spectrum. The maximum intensity of the VLF transmitters is in the late evening or early morning with enhancements all along L shells from 1.8 to 3.

Plasma density distribution along the magnetospheric field: RPI observations from IMAGE

A new technique is introduced that remotely measures the plasma density profile in the plasmasphere. Radio plasma imager (RPI) echo observations provide echo delay time as function of frequency, from which the plasma density as function of position along the magnetic field line can be calculated. An example from the nightside plasmasphere (L=3) shows the density having its minimum value near the equator and rapidly increasing densities along the field line above 40° magnetic latitude. The density increases at a faster rate toward the ionosphere than the field strength. The index of the power law of the density as a function of field strength increases from a few tenths near the equator to close to unity near 40° and greater than 2 near the ionosphere.

An empirical model of the high‐latitude magnetopause

A quantitative, static, empirical model of the high-latitude magnetopause is developed for GSM coordinates and parameterized by dipole tilt angle (ψ), solar wind pressure, and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz. We fit 691 high-latitude magnetopause crossings by the Hawkeye 1 spacecraft to a generalized second-order surface using only crossings for which both solar wind pressure and IMF data are available. These Northern Hemisphere crossings are shown to lie within the spatial coverage of Hawkeye for different bins of ψ spanning the range of −35° to 35°, demonstrating that the independence of the crossings is not due to a bias in coverage. At high latitudes, solar wind pressure and ψ are found to be of major and equal importance in modeling magnetopause position. In the Northern Hemisphere the high-latitude magnetopause is displaced outward for positive ψ and inward for negative ψ. Additional inward displacement of the magnetopause surface is reduced for extreme negative ψ values. IMF Bz dependence is separable only after the effects of ψ and pressure are removed. The radial dependence on IMF Bz weakens near the cusp and becomes stronger antisunward of the cusp, where the magnetopause is displaced outward for negative IMF Bz, and inward for positive IMF Bz. This is consistent with findings along the low-latitude flanks. Both AE and Dst dependencies are found in the high-latitude magnetopause crossings after removing ψ and pressure dependencies from the crossings. This model is only valid at high latitudes, antisunward of the cusp, out to a xGSM value of about −5 Re. The ψ dependence of the nose is also modeled using a subset of magnetopause crossings from Roelof and Sibeck [1993] along with Hawkeye crossings below the cusp region. For positive ψ the most Sunward point of the nose is displaced below the xGSM-yGSM plane. Both the nose model and the high-latitude model are in reasonable agreement with the theoretical model of Sotirelis and Meng [1999].

First results from the Radio Plasma Imager on IMAGE

The Radio Plasma Imager (RPI) is a 3 kHz to 3 MHz radio sounder, incorporating modern digital processing techniques and long electronically-tuned antennas, that is flown to large radial distances into the high-latitude magnetosphere on the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) satellite. Clear echoes, similar to those observed by ionospheric topside sounders, are routinely observed from the polar-cap ionosphere by RPI even when IMAGE is located at geocentric distances up to approximately 5 Earth radii. Using an inversion technique, these echoes have been used to determine electron-density distributions from the polar-cap ionosphere to the location of the IMAGE satellite. Typical echoes from the plasmapause boundary, observed from outside the plasmasphere, are of a diffuse nature indicating persistently irregular structure. Echoes attributed to the cusp and the magnetopause have also been identified, those from the cusp have been identified more often and with greater confidence.

Magnetospheric electron densities inferred from upper-hybrid band emissions

(/ Ne ) is greater than the electron cyclotron frequency fce. This conclusion is based on interleaved active and passive observations from the Radio Plasma Imager (RPI) on the IMAGE satellite in the vicinity of the plasmapause. The Ne determinations are based on the frequency limits of an intense narrowband emission identified as the upper-hybrid band. The lower limit is identified with fpe and the upper limit with the upper-hybrid frequency fuh =( fpe +f ce ) 1/2 . These frequency limits and the large amplitude of the emission, typically 20 dB or more above background, suggest strong Z-mode waves, rather than quasi-thermal fluctuations, as the emission source. INDEX TERMS: 2772 Magnetospheric Physics: Plasma waves and instabilities; 6984 Radio Science: Waves in plasma; 6939 Radio Science: Magnetospheric physics. Citation: Benson, R. F., P. A. Webb, J. L. Green, L. Garcia, and B. W. Reinisch (2004), Magnetospheric electron densities inferred from upper-hybrid band emissions, Geophys. Res. Lett., 31, L20803, doi:10.1029/ 2004GL020847.

The feasibility of radio sounding in the magnetosphere

A radio sounder outside the plasmasphere could provide nearly continuous remote density measurements of the magnetopause and plasmasphere, as well as other important density features elsewhere in this region. Using digital integration and tuned reception at frequencies from a few kilohertz to a few megahertz with 400-m to 500-m tip-to-tip dipole antennas and 10 W transmitter power, such a sounder would be capable of 10% density resolution and 500 to 1300 km spatial resolution in only a few minutes at distances of up to 4 RE. By providing such detailed observations of its principal density structures, such a sounder would then clearly revolutionize magnetospheric research.

Survey of the frequency dependent latitudinal distribution of the fast magnetosonic wave mode from Van Allen Probes Electric and Magnetic Field Instrument and Integrated Science waveform receiver plasma wave analysis

We present a statistical survey of the latitudinal structure of the fast magnetosonic wave mode detected by the Van Allen Probes spanning the time interval of 21 September 2012 to 1 August 2014. We show that statistically, the latitudinal occurrence of the wave frequency (f) normalized by the local proton cyclotron frequency (f(sub cP)) has a distinct funnel-shaped appearance in latitude about the magnetic equator similar to that found in case studies. By comparing the observed E/B ratios with the model E/B ratio, using the observed plasma density and background magnetic field magnitude as input to the model E/B ratio, we show that this mode is consistent with the extra-ordinary (whistler) mode at wave normal angles (theta(sub k)) near 90 deg. Performing polarization analysis on synthetic waveforms composed from a superposition of extra-ordinary mode plane waves with theta(sub k) randomly chosen between 87 and 90 deg, we show that the uncertainty in the derived wave normal is substantially broadened, with a tail extending down to theta(sub k) of 60 deg, suggesting that another approach is necessary to estimate the true distribution of theta(sub k). We find that the histograms of the synthetically derived ellipticities and theta(sub k) are consistent with the observations of ellipticities and theta(sub k) derived using polarization analysis.We make estimates of the median equatorial theta(sub k) by comparing observed and model ray tracing frequency-dependent probability occurrence with latitude and give preliminary frequency dependent estimates of the equatorial theta(sub k) distribution around noon and 4 R(sub E), with the median of approximately 4 to 7 deg from 90 deg at f/f(sub cP) = 2 and dropping to approximately 0.5 deg from 90 deg at f/f(sub cP) = 30. The occurrence of waves in this mode peaks around noon near the equator at all radial distances, and we find that the overall intensity of these waves increases with AE*, similar to findings of other studies.

Exterior and interior polar cusps: Observations from Hawkeye

Hawkeye plasma, magnetic field, and plasma wave instruments directly sampled the throat of the northern polar cusp as the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) changed from southward to northward on July 3, 1974. Two distinct regions in the polar cusp were identified based on magnetic field, plasma flow and magnetic and electric noise: the interior and exterior cusps. The observations show highly variable flows in the exterior portion of the cusp and constantly strong dawn-dusk flows in the interior portion during periods of strong IMF By component. Results of a minimum variance analysis of the magnetic field at each cusp interface crossing provides evidence that the magnetopause surface normal deviated highly from empirical models. During intervals of relatively steady solar wind dynamic pressure, the motion of the cusp relative to the slow moving spacecraft was modulated by the varying IMF clock angle as observed by IMP 8 in the upstream solar wind. The motion did not show a correlation with internal processes monitored by the AE index. We propose that observed plasma flow patterns and cusp motion are results of reconnection between the IMF and the magnetospheric magnetic field. Flow velocity observed in the interior cusp is consistent with stress balance for a reconnection process. This unique interval provides an opportunity for detailed studies of the plasma, magnetic field, and plasma wave properties in both the exterior and interior cusp.

Ray tracing of Jovian kilometric radiation

Results of computer ray tracing of Jovian kilometric radiation from 56.2 kHz to 1 MHz in a model Jovian magnetosphere with an Io torus are presented. Ray tracing calculations indicate that the Io torus presents a propagation barrier to the radiation and that the Jovian kilometric radiation must be generated in the L-O mode from a source near Jupiter on field lines passing through the Io torus. One effect of the Io torus is to refract the rays away from the magnetic equator forming a shadow zone at radial distances beyond the torus. In general, at radial distances greater than 10 Jovian radii, as the wave frequency increases (> 200 kHz) so does the magnetic latitude of the shadow zone. These and other features of the ray tracing calculations are in good qualitative agreement with the observations from the plasma wave receiver and planetary radio astronomy experiment on board both Voyagers 1 and 2.