Magnetospheric response to solar wind forcing: ultra-low-frequency wave–particle interaction perspective

<p>Solar wind forcing, e.g., interplanetary shock and/or solar wind dynamic pressure pulses impacting Earth's magnetosphere, manifests many fundamental important space physics phenomena, including producing electromagnetic waves, plasma heating, and energetic particle acceleration. This p...

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Main Author: Q. Zong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2022-02-01
Series:Annales Geophysicae
Online Access:https://angeo.copernicus.org/articles/40/121/2022/angeo-40-121-2022.pdf
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author Q. Zong
Q. Zong
Q. Zong
author_facet Q. Zong
Q. Zong
Q. Zong
author_sort Q. Zong
collection DOAJ
description <p>Solar wind forcing, e.g., interplanetary shock and/or solar wind dynamic pressure pulses impacting Earth's magnetosphere, manifests many fundamental important space physics phenomena, including producing electromagnetic waves, plasma heating, and energetic particle acceleration. This paper summarizes our present understanding of the magnetospheric response to solar wind forcing in the aspects of radiation belt electrons, ring current ions and plasmaspheric plasma physics based on in situ spacecraft measurements, ground-based magnetometer data, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and kinetic simulations.</p> <p>Magnetosphere response to solar wind forcing is not just a “one-kick” scenario. It is found that after the impact of solar wind forcing on Earth's magnetosphere, plasma heating and energetic particle acceleration started nearly immediately and could last for a few hours. Even a small dynamic pressure change in interplanetary shock or solar wind pressure pulse can play a non-negligible role in magnetospheric physics. The impact leads to generation of a series of waves, including poloidal-mode ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves. The fast acceleration of energetic electrons in the radiation belt and energetic ions in the ring current region response to the impact usually contains two contributing steps: (1) the initial adiabatic acceleration due to the magnetospheric compression, (2) followed by the wave–particle resonant acceleration dominated by global or localized poloidal ULF waves excited at various <span class="inline-formula"><i>L</i></span>-shells.</p> <p>Generalized theory of drift and drift–bounce resonance with growth- or decay-localized ULF waves has been developed to explain in situ spacecraft observations. The wave-related observational features like distorted energy spectrum, “boomerang” and “fishbone” pitch angle distributions of radiation belt electrons, ring current ions and plasmaspheric plasma can be explained in the framework of this generalized theory. It is worth pointing out here that poloidal ULF waves are much more efficient at accelerating and modulating electrons (fundamental mode) in the radiation belt and charged ions (second harmonic) in the ring current region. The results presented in this paper can be widely used in solar wind interacting with other planets such as Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune and other astrophysical objects with magnetic fields.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-44e6b097467b423d86a3ac412f2030aa2022-12-22T01:33:56ZengCopernicus PublicationsAnnales Geophysicae0992-76891432-05762022-02-014012115010.5194/angeo-40-121-2022Magnetospheric response to solar wind forcing: ultra-low-frequency wave–particle interaction perspectiveQ. Zong0Q. Zong1Q. Zong2Institute of Space Physics and Applied Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaPolar Research Institute of China, Shanghai 200136, ChinaInvited contribution by Qiugang Zong, recipient of the EGU Hannes Alfvén Medal 2020. <p>Solar wind forcing, e.g., interplanetary shock and/or solar wind dynamic pressure pulses impacting Earth's magnetosphere, manifests many fundamental important space physics phenomena, including producing electromagnetic waves, plasma heating, and energetic particle acceleration. This paper summarizes our present understanding of the magnetospheric response to solar wind forcing in the aspects of radiation belt electrons, ring current ions and plasmaspheric plasma physics based on in situ spacecraft measurements, ground-based magnetometer data, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and kinetic simulations.</p> <p>Magnetosphere response to solar wind forcing is not just a “one-kick” scenario. It is found that after the impact of solar wind forcing on Earth's magnetosphere, plasma heating and energetic particle acceleration started nearly immediately and could last for a few hours. Even a small dynamic pressure change in interplanetary shock or solar wind pressure pulse can play a non-negligible role in magnetospheric physics. The impact leads to generation of a series of waves, including poloidal-mode ultra-low-frequency (ULF) waves. The fast acceleration of energetic electrons in the radiation belt and energetic ions in the ring current region response to the impact usually contains two contributing steps: (1) the initial adiabatic acceleration due to the magnetospheric compression, (2) followed by the wave–particle resonant acceleration dominated by global or localized poloidal ULF waves excited at various <span class="inline-formula"><i>L</i></span>-shells.</p> <p>Generalized theory of drift and drift–bounce resonance with growth- or decay-localized ULF waves has been developed to explain in situ spacecraft observations. The wave-related observational features like distorted energy spectrum, “boomerang” and “fishbone” pitch angle distributions of radiation belt electrons, ring current ions and plasmaspheric plasma can be explained in the framework of this generalized theory. It is worth pointing out here that poloidal ULF waves are much more efficient at accelerating and modulating electrons (fundamental mode) in the radiation belt and charged ions (second harmonic) in the ring current region. The results presented in this paper can be widely used in solar wind interacting with other planets such as Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune and other astrophysical objects with magnetic fields.</p>https://angeo.copernicus.org/articles/40/121/2022/angeo-40-121-2022.pdf
spellingShingle Q. Zong
Q. Zong
Q. Zong
Magnetospheric response to solar wind forcing: ultra-low-frequency wave–particle interaction perspective
Annales Geophysicae
title Magnetospheric response to solar wind forcing: ultra-low-frequency wave–particle interaction perspective
title_full Magnetospheric response to solar wind forcing: ultra-low-frequency wave–particle interaction perspective
title_fullStr Magnetospheric response to solar wind forcing: ultra-low-frequency wave–particle interaction perspective
title_full_unstemmed Magnetospheric response to solar wind forcing: ultra-low-frequency wave–particle interaction perspective
title_short Magnetospheric response to solar wind forcing: ultra-low-frequency wave–particle interaction perspective
title_sort magnetospheric response to solar wind forcing ultra low frequency wave particle interaction perspective
url https://angeo.copernicus.org/articles/40/121/2022/angeo-40-121-2022.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT qzong magnetosphericresponsetosolarwindforcingultralowfrequencywaveparticleinteractionperspective
AT qzong magnetosphericresponsetosolarwindforcingultralowfrequencywaveparticleinteractionperspective
AT qzong magnetosphericresponsetosolarwindforcingultralowfrequencywaveparticleinteractionperspective