Stephan C. Buchert

In situ multi-satellite detection of coherent vortices as a manifestation of Alfvénic turbulence

Turbulence in fluids and plasmas is a ubiquitous phenomenon driven by a variety of sources—currents, sheared flows, gradients in density and temperature, and so on. Turbulence involves fluctuations of physical properties on many different scales, which interact nonlinearly to produce self-organized structures in the form of vortices. Vortex motion in fluids and magnetized plasmas is typically governed by nonlinear equations, examples of which include the Navier–Stokes equation, the Charney–Hasegawa–Mima equations and their numerous generalizations. These nonlinear equations admit solutions in the form of different types of vortices that are frequently observed in a variety of contexts: in atmospheres, in oceans and planetary systems, in the heliosphere, in the Earths ionosphere and magnetosphere, and in laboratory plasma experiments. Here we report the discovery by the Cluster satellites of a distinct class of vortex motion—short-scale drift-kinetic Alfvén (DKA) vortices—in the Earths magnetospheric cusp region. As is the case for the larger Kelvin–Helmholtz vortices observed previously, these dynamic structures should provide a channel for transporting plasma particles and energy through the magnetospheric boundary layers.

Structure of the separatrix region close to a magnetic reconnection X-line: Cluster observations

We use Cluster spacecraft observations to study in detail the structure of a magnetic reconnection separatrix region on the magnetospheric side of the magnetopause about 50 ion inertial lengths away from the X-line. The separatrix region is the region between the magnetic separatrix and the reconnection jet. It is several ion inertial lengths wide and it contains a few subregions showing different features in particle and wave data. One subregion, a density cavity adjacent to the separatrix, has strong electric fields, electron beams and intense wave turbulence. The separatrix region shows structures even at smaller scales, for example, solitary waves at Debye length scale. We describe in detail electron distribution functions and electric field spectra in the separatrix region and we compare them to a numerical simulation. Our observations show that while reconnection is ongoing the separatrix region is highly structured and dynamic in the electric field even if the X-line is up to 50 ion inertial lengths away.

Swarm in situ observations of F region polar cap patches created by cusp precipitation

High-resolution in situ measurements from the three Swarm spacecraft, in a string-of-pearls configuration, provide new insights about the combined role of flow channel events and particle impact ionization in creating F region electron density structures in the northern Scandinavian dayside cusp. We present a case of polar cap patch formation where a reconnection-driven low-density relative westward flow channel is eroding the dayside solar-ionized plasma but where particle impact ionization in the cusp dominates the initial plasma structuring. In the cusp, density features are observed which are twice as dense as the solar-ionized background. These features then follow the polar cap convection and become less structured and lower in amplitude. These are the first in situ observations tracking polar cap patch evolution from creation by plasma transport and enhancement by cusp precipitation, through entrainment in the polar cap flow and relaxation into smooth patches as they approach the nightside auroral oval.

Energy conversion regions as observed by Cluster in the plasma sheet

In this article we present a review of recent studies of observations of localized energy conversion regions (ECRs) observed by Cluster in the plasma sheet at altitudes of 15–20RE. By examining var ...

What high altitude observations tell us about the auroral acceleration: A Cluster/DMSP conjunction

[1] Magnetic conjugate observations by Cluster and DMSP F14 satellites are used to study the field lines of auroral arc. Cluster is well above the acceleration region and observes upward keV ion beams and bipolar electric structures. The integrated potential at Cluster altitudes shows a dip that is consistent with the keV electron acceleration energy at low altitude. The earthward Poynting flux at Cluster altitudes is comparable to the electron energy flux at low altitudes. Thus, for this event the auroral acceleration can be described as a quasi-stationary potential structure with equipotential lines reaching the Cluster altitudes. The arc forms at the outer edge of the plasma sheet at a density gradient. Multiple Cluster satellite measurements allow us to study the density increase associated with the development of the arc, and to estimate the velocity of the structure. The quasi-potential structure itself may be part of an Alfven wave.

SWARM observations of equatorial electron densities and topside GPS track losses

The SWARM satellites have both upward looking GPS receivers and Langmuir probes. The receivers repeatedly lost track of the L1 band signal in January–February 2014 at postsunset hours, when SWARM was at nearly 500 km altitude. This indicates that the signal was disturbed by ionospheric irregularities at this height and above. The track losses occurred right at density gradients associated with equatorial plasma bubbles and predominantly where the measured background density was highest. The signal showed strong phase scintillations rather than in amplitude, indicating that SWARM might be in the near field of an ionospheric phase screen. Density biteouts, depletions between steep gradients, were up to almost 3 orders of magnitude deep in the background of a more shallow trough centered at the magnetic equator. Comparison between satellites shows that the biteout structure strongly varied in longitude over ∼100 km and has in north-south steep walls.

Modulated reconnection rate and energy conversion at the magnetopause under steady IMF conditions

We use the multi-spacecraft mission Cluster to make observational estimates of the local energy conversion across the dayside high-latitude magnetopause. The energy conversion is estimated during eleven complete magnetopause crossings under steady south-dawnward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). We describe a new method to determine the reconnection rate from the magnitude of the local energy conversion. The reconnection rate as well as the energy conversion varies during the course of the eleven crossings and is typically much higher for the outbound crossings. This supports the previous interpretation that reconnection is continuous but its rate is modulated.

Extreme solar‐terrestrial events of October 2003: High‐latitude and Cluster observations of the large geomagnetic disturbances on 30 October

Extreme solar-terrestrial events of October 2003: high latitude and Cluster observations of the large geomagnetic disturbance on October 30

The role of the inner tail to midtail plasma sheet in channeling solar wind power to the ionosphere

In this article we use Cluster power density (E . J) data from 2001, 2002, and 2004 to investigate energy conversion and transfer in the plasma sheet. We show that a southward IMF B-z is favorable ...

Upper atmosphere cooling over the past 33 years

Theoretical models and observations have suggested that the increasing greenhouse gas concentration in the troposphere causes the upper atmosphere to cool and contract. However, our understanding of the long-term trends in the upper atmosphere is still quite incomplete, due to a limited amount of available and well-calibrated data. The European Incoherent Scatter radar has gathered data in the polar ionosphere above Tromso for over 33 years. Using this long-term data set, we have estimated the first significant trends of ion temperature at altitudes between 200 and 450 km. The estimated trends indicate a cooling of 10–15 K/decade near the F region peak (220–380 km altitude), whereas above 400 km the trend is nearly zero or even warming. The height profiles of the observed trends are close to those predicted by recent atmospheric general circulation models. Our results are the first quantitative confirmation of the simulations and of the qualitative expectations.