X. G. Wang

Global view of dayside magnetic reconnection with the dusk-dawn IMF orientation: A statistical study for Double Star and Cluster data

Double Star/TC-1 and Cluster data show that both component reconnection and anti-parallel reconnection occur at the magnetopause when the interplanetary magnetic field ( IMF) is predominantly dawnward. The occurrence of these different features under these very similar IMF conditions are further confirmed by a statistical study of 290 fast flows measured in both the low and high latitude magnetopause boundary layers. The directions of these fast flows suggest a possible S-shaped configuration of the reconnection X-line under such a dawnward dominated IMF orientation.

Seismic observation of an extremely magmatic accretion at the ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge

The oceanic crust is formed by a combination of magmatic and tectonic processes at mid-ocean spreading centers. Under ultraslow spreading environment, however, observations of thin crust and mantle-derived peridotites on the seafloor suggest that a large portion of crust is formed mainly by tectonic processes, with little or absence of magmatism. Using three-dimensional seismic tomography at an ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge segment containing a central volcano at 50°28′E, here we report the presence of an extremely magmatic accretion of the oceanic crust. Our results reveal a low-velocity anomaly (−0.6 km/s) in the lower crust beneath the central volcano, suggesting the presence of partial melt, which is accompanied by an unusually thick crust (~9.5 km). We also observe a strong along-axis variation in crustal thickness from 9.5 to 4 km within 30–50 km distance, requiring a highly focused melt delivery from the mantle. We conclude that the extremely magmatic accretion is due to localized melt flow toward the central volcano, which was enhanced by the significant along-axis variation in lithosphere thickness at the ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge.

Electron trapping around a magnetic null

Magnetic reconnection is an important process in astrophysical, space and laboratory plasmas. The magnetic null pair structure is theoretically suggested to be a crucial feature of the three-dimensional magnetic reconnection. The physics around the null pair, however, has not been explored in combination with the magnetic field configuration deduced from in situ observations. Here, we report the identification of the configuration around a null pair and simultaneous electron dynamics near one null of the pair, observed by four Cluster spacecraft in the geo-magnetotail. Further, we propose a new scenario of electron dynamics in the null region, suggesting that electrons are temporarily trapped in the central reconnection region including electron diffusion region resulting in an electron density peak, accelerated possibly by parallel electric field and electron pressure gradient, and reflected from the magnetic cusp mirrors leading to the bi-directional energetic electron beams, which excite the observed high frequency electrostatic waves.

Temperature dependence of ultraviolet line parameters in network and internetwork regions of the quiet Sun and coronal holes

Aims. We study the temperature dependence of the average Doppler shift and the non-thermal line width in network and internetwork regions for both the quiet Sun (QS) and the coronal hole (CH), by using observations of the Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation instrument onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory spacecraft. Methods. We obtain the average Doppler shift and non-thermal line width in the network regions of QS, internetwork regions of QS, network regions of CH, and internetwork regions of CH by applying a single-Gaussian fit to the line profiles averaged in each of the four regions. The formation temperatures of the lines we use cover the range from 10 4 to 1.2 × 10 6 K. Two simple scenarios are proposed to explain the temperature dependence of the line parameters in the network regions. In one of the scenarios, the spectral line consists of three components: a rapid, weak upflow generated in the lower atmosphere, a nearly static background, and a slow cooling downflow. In the other scenario, there are just two components, which include a bright core component and a faint wide tail one. Results. An enhancement of the Doppler shift magnitude and the non-thermal line width in network regions compared to the internetwork regions is reported. We also report that most transition region lines are less redshifted (by 0− 8k m s −1 ) and broader (by 0− 5k m s −1 ) in CH compared to the counterparts of QS. In internetwork regions, the difference in the Doppler shifts between the coronal hole and the QS is slightly smaller, especially for the lines with formation temperatures lower than 2 × 10 5 K. And the two simple scenarios can reproduce the variation in the line parameters with the temperature very well. Conclusions. Our results suggest that the physical processes in network and internetwork regions are different and that one needs to separate network and internetwork when discussing dynamics and physical properties of the solar atmosphere. The agreement between the results of the observation and our scenarios suggests that the temperature dependence of Doppler shifts and line widths might be caused by the different relative contributions of the three components at different temperatures. The results may shed new light on our understanding of the complex chromosphere-corona mass cycle. However, the existing observational results do not allow us to distinguish between the two scenarios. At this stage, a high-resolution instrument Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph is highly desirable.