Remote estimation of reconnection parameters in the Earth's magnetotail: model and observations
We develop a method to estimate the reconnected magnetic flux and the location of the reconnection site using properties of magnetic field and plasma velocity disturbances in the regions surrounding the reconnection plasma flow. Our analysis is based on a 3-D non-steady reconnection model with...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2012-12-01
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| Series: | Annales Geophysicae |
| Online Access: | https://www.ann-geophys.net/30/1727/2012/angeo-30-1727-2012.pdf |
| _version_ | 1828860405813870592 |
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| author | A. Alexandrova A. Alexandrova R. Nakamura V. S. Semenov I. V. Kubyshkin S. Apatenkov E. V. Panov D. Korovinskiy H. Biernat W. Baumjohann K.-H. Glassmeier K.-H. Glassmeier J. P. McFadden |
| author_facet | A. Alexandrova A. Alexandrova R. Nakamura V. S. Semenov I. V. Kubyshkin S. Apatenkov E. V. Panov D. Korovinskiy H. Biernat W. Baumjohann K.-H. Glassmeier K.-H. Glassmeier J. P. McFadden |
| author_sort | A. Alexandrova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We develop a method to estimate the reconnected magnetic
flux and the location of the reconnection site using
properties of magnetic field and plasma
velocity disturbances in the regions surrounding the reconnection
plasma flow.
Our analysis is based on a 3-D non-steady reconnection
model with a finite-sized X-line length. In this framework,
we obtain a system of equations capturing the relationships between
the disturbances of the magnetic field and plasma flow from one side and the reconnection
characteristics from another side. These equations allow us to determine
the reconnection characteristics from one-point remote observations of the
reconnection fast flow, propagated in the magnetotail current sheet.
We apply the model to magnetic field and plasma observations at (−43, −11.2, −6.9) <I>R</I><sub>E</sub> GSM
obtained by the THEMIS/ARTEMIS spacecraft, located in the tail lobe during a substorm event.
We found that the reconnection region was located at
~ (−27, 3.5, 0) <I>R</I><sub>E</sub> GSM.
The X-line appeared to be close to the local time of the substorm current wedge
identified from ground-based observations.
We estimated the total magnetic flux, which was reconnected in the event as ~5 MWb.
That corresponds to a small fraction of the total amount of magnetic flux transferred during a substorm. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:39:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-81a01de5dddf4c32a18ed48165ec4249 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:39:20Z |
| publishDate | 2012-12-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annales Geophysicae |
| spelling | doaj.art-81a01de5dddf4c32a18ed48165ec42492022-12-22T00:02:20ZengCopernicus PublicationsAnnales Geophysicae0992-76891432-05762012-12-01301727174110.5194/angeo-30-1727-2012Remote estimation of reconnection parameters in the Earth's magnetotail: model and observationsA. Alexandrova0A. Alexandrova1R. Nakamura2V. S. Semenov3I. V. Kubyshkin4S. Apatenkov5E. V. Panov6D. Korovinskiy7H. Biernat8W. Baumjohann9K.-H. Glassmeier10K.-H. Glassmeier11J. P. McFadden12Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, AustriaInvited contribution by A. Alexandrova, recipient of the EGU Outstanding Student Poster (OSP) Award 2011.Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, AustriaSt. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, RussiaSt. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, RussiaSt. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, RussiaSpace Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, AustriaSpace Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, AustriaSpace Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, AustriaSpace Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, AustriaTU Braunschweig, Braunschweig, GermanyMax-Planck Institute of Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau,GermanySpace Science Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USAWe develop a method to estimate the reconnected magnetic flux and the location of the reconnection site using properties of magnetic field and plasma velocity disturbances in the regions surrounding the reconnection plasma flow. Our analysis is based on a 3-D non-steady reconnection model with a finite-sized X-line length. In this framework, we obtain a system of equations capturing the relationships between the disturbances of the magnetic field and plasma flow from one side and the reconnection characteristics from another side. These equations allow us to determine the reconnection characteristics from one-point remote observations of the reconnection fast flow, propagated in the magnetotail current sheet. We apply the model to magnetic field and plasma observations at (−43, −11.2, −6.9) <I>R</I><sub>E</sub> GSM obtained by the THEMIS/ARTEMIS spacecraft, located in the tail lobe during a substorm event. We found that the reconnection region was located at ~ (−27, 3.5, 0) <I>R</I><sub>E</sub> GSM. The X-line appeared to be close to the local time of the substorm current wedge identified from ground-based observations. We estimated the total magnetic flux, which was reconnected in the event as ~5 MWb. That corresponds to a small fraction of the total amount of magnetic flux transferred during a substorm.https://www.ann-geophys.net/30/1727/2012/angeo-30-1727-2012.pdf |
| spellingShingle | A. Alexandrova A. Alexandrova R. Nakamura V. S. Semenov I. V. Kubyshkin S. Apatenkov E. V. Panov D. Korovinskiy H. Biernat W. Baumjohann K.-H. Glassmeier K.-H. Glassmeier J. P. McFadden Remote estimation of reconnection parameters in the Earth's magnetotail: model and observations Annales Geophysicae |
| title | Remote estimation of reconnection parameters in the Earth's magnetotail: model and observations |
| title_full | Remote estimation of reconnection parameters in the Earth's magnetotail: model and observations |
| title_fullStr | Remote estimation of reconnection parameters in the Earth's magnetotail: model and observations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Remote estimation of reconnection parameters in the Earth's magnetotail: model and observations |
| title_short | Remote estimation of reconnection parameters in the Earth's magnetotail: model and observations |
| title_sort | remote estimation of reconnection parameters in the earth s magnetotail model and observations |
| url | https://www.ann-geophys.net/30/1727/2012/angeo-30-1727-2012.pdf |
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