L. Kozak

Anomalous interaction of a plasma flow with the boundary layers of a geomagnetic trap

Using the data from the Interball-1, GEOTAIL, THEMIS and CLUSTER satellites, we propose a mechanism of anomalous magnetosheath dynamics. This mechanism yields that plasma boundaries can be locally deformed over distances comparable to its thickness. In particular, the magnetospheric boundary, the magnetopause, is deformed over distances up to a few Earth radii (RE) under the pressure of supermagnetosonic plasma streams (SPSs), instead of reacting to plasma pressure decreases, as it was previously thought. Supermagnetosonic plasma streams having a kinetic pressure a few times larger than the solar wind pressure and the magnetic pressure behind the magnetopause, can crush the magnetopause and even push it outside the mean bow shock position, as determined through the average pressures balance. Anomalous magnetosheath dynamics is initiated by plasma flow anomalies (FAs), triggered by rotational discontinuities, by jumps in the solar wind pressure and by interplanetary shocks, which all interact with the bow shock. We show that the generation mechanism for SPSs, adjacent to the FA, is connected with the compensation of the FA flow reduction by the SPS enhanced flow, which is produced by polarization electric fields at the FA edges. Statistically, SPSs are extreme events, relayed with intermittency and multifractality inside the boundary layers of the geomagnetic trap. In this way, SPSs provide “long-range” interactions between global and microscales. A similar role may be played by fast concentrated flows in the geomagnetic tail, in fusion devices, in astrophysical plasmas and in hydrodynamics.

On nonlinear cascades and resonances in the outer magnetosphere

The paper addresses nonlinear phenomena that control the interaction between plasma flow (solar wind) and magnetic barrier (magnetosphere). For the first time we demonstrate that the dominant solar wind kinetic energy: (i) excites boundary resonances and their harmonics which modulate plasma jets under the bow shock; (ii) produces discrete three-wave cascades, which could merge into a turbulent-like one; (iii) jet produced cascades provide the effective anomalous plasma transport inside and out of the magnetosphere; (iv) intermittency and multifractality characteristics for the statistic properties of jets result in a super-ballistic turbulent transport regime. Our results could be considered as suggestive for the space weather predictions, for turbulent cascades in different media and for the laboratory plasma confinement (e.g., for fusion devices).

Comparing and contrasting dispersionless injections at geosynchronous orbit during a substorm event

Particle injections in the magnetosphere transport electrons and ions from the magnetotail to the radiation belts. Here we consider generation mechanisms of dispersionless injections, namely, those with simultaneous increase of the particle flux over a wide energy range. In this study we take advantage of multisatellite observations which simultaneously monitor Earths magnetospheric dynamics from the tail toward the radiation belts during a substorm event. Dispersionless injections are associated with instabilities in the plasma sheet during the growth phase of the substorm, with a dipolarization front at the onset and with magnetic flux pileup during the expansion phase. They show different spatial spread and propagation characteristics. Injection associated with the dipolarization front is the most penetrating. At geosynchronous orbit (6.6R(E)), the electron distributions do not have a classic power law fit but instead a bump on tail centered on similar to 120keV during dispersionless electron injections. However, electron distributions of injections associated with magnetic flux pileup in the magnetotail (13R(E)) do not show such a signature. We surmise that an additional resonant acceleration occurs in between these locations. We relate the acceleration mechanism to the electron drift resonance with ultralow frequency waves localized in the inner magnetosphere.

Characteristics of the Turbulence Processes in the Magnetohydrodynamic Environment

Methods and approaches that can be used for analyzing the hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic turbulent flows are proposed. It is shown that the best methods to characterize the types of turbulent processes are the methods of statistical physics. Within the statistical approach the fractal analysis (determination of the fractal length and height of the maximum of the probability density fluctuations of the studied parameters) and the multifractal analysis (study of a power dependence of high order statistical moments and construction multifractal spectrum) had been carried out. It is indicate that the statistical analysis of properties of turbulent processes can be supplemented by the spectral studies: Fourier and wavelet analysis. In order to test the methods and approaches we have used the magnetic field measurements from the space mission Cluster-II with a sampling frequency of 22.5 Hz in the Earths magnetospheric tail. A good agreement between the investigations and the mutual additions to provide an overall view of the turbulence can be noted.