Cluster multispacecraft observations at the high-latitude duskside magnetopause: implications for continuous and component magnetic reconnection
We report multispacecraft Cluster observations of magnetic reconnection at the high-latitude magnetopause/magnetospheric boundary layer (MP/BL) under mainly northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. The event we study is on 3 December 2001 when the Cluster spacecraft were skimmin...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2005-02-01
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| Series: | Annales Geophysicae |
| Online Access: | https://www.ann-geophys.net/23/461/2005/angeo-23-461-2005.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818127300896489472 |
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| author | A. Retinò M. B. Bavassano Cattaneo M. F. Marcucci A. Vaivads M. André Y. Khotyaintsev T. Phan G. Pallocchia H. Rème E. Möbius B. Klecker C. W. Carlson M. McCarthy A. Korth R. Lundin A. Balogh |
| author_facet | A. Retinò M. B. Bavassano Cattaneo M. F. Marcucci A. Vaivads M. André Y. Khotyaintsev T. Phan G. Pallocchia H. Rème E. Möbius B. Klecker C. W. Carlson M. McCarthy A. Korth R. Lundin A. Balogh |
| author_sort | A. Retinò |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We report multispacecraft Cluster observations of magnetic
reconnection at the high-latitude magnetopause/magnetospheric
boundary layer (MP/BL) under mainly northward interplanetary
magnetic field (IMF) conditions. The event we study is on 3 December
2001 when the Cluster spacecraft were skimming the high-latitude
duskside MP/BL during a period of about four hours. The orbit and
configuration of the spacecraft were such that at least one
satellite was present in the MP/BL during most of that period. We
present the evidence of reconnection in the form of tangential stress
balance between the magnetosheath and the MP/BL (Walén test) and
in several cases in the form of transmitted magnetosheath ions in
the MP/BL and incident/reflected magnetosheath ions in the
magnetosheath boundary layer (MSBL) . The observations are
consistent with magnetic reconnection occurring tailward of the cusp
and going on continuously for a period of about four hours. The
observed directions of the reconnection flows are consistent with
the IMF orientation, thus indicating that reconnection is globally
controlled by the IMF. Observations of a few flow reversals suggest
passages of the spacecraft close to the X-line. The observation of
low magnetic shear across the magnetopause during a flow reversal is
consistent with component merging at least in one case. The
observation of reconnection flows on the duskside magnetopause
irrespective of the change in the sign of the IMF <i>B<sub>Y</sub></i> also
suggests a better agreement with the component merging model, though
antiparallel merging cannot be excluded because the distance from
the X-line is not known. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T07:15:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c40f85f62b4e4d79b83512cd99b97b4a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T07:15:10Z |
| publishDate | 2005-02-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annales Geophysicae |
| spelling | doaj.art-c40f85f62b4e4d79b83512cd99b97b4a2022-12-22T01:16:15ZengCopernicus PublicationsAnnales Geophysicae0992-76891432-05762005-02-012346147310.5194/angeo-23-461-2005Cluster multispacecraft observations at the high-latitude duskside magnetopause: implications for continuous and component magnetic reconnectionA. Retinò0M. B. Bavassano Cattaneo1M. F. Marcucci2A. Vaivads3M. André4Y. Khotyaintsev5T. Phan6G. Pallocchia7H. Rème8E. Möbius9B. Klecker10C. W. Carlson11M. McCarthy12A. Korth13R. Lundin14A. Balogh15Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, SwedenIFSI-CNR, Roma, ItalyIFSI-CNR, Roma, ItalySwedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, SwedenSwedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, SwedenSwedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, SwedenUniversity of California, Berkeley, USAIFSI-CNR, Roma, ItalyCESR, Toulouse, FranceUniversity of New Hampshire, Durham, USAMPE, Garching, GermanyUniversity of California, Berkeley, USAUniversity of Washington, Seattle, USAMPS, Lindau, GermanySwedish Institute of Space Physics, Kiruna, SwedenImperial College, London, UKWe report multispacecraft Cluster observations of magnetic reconnection at the high-latitude magnetopause/magnetospheric boundary layer (MP/BL) under mainly northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. The event we study is on 3 December 2001 when the Cluster spacecraft were skimming the high-latitude duskside MP/BL during a period of about four hours. The orbit and configuration of the spacecraft were such that at least one satellite was present in the MP/BL during most of that period. We present the evidence of reconnection in the form of tangential stress balance between the magnetosheath and the MP/BL (Walén test) and in several cases in the form of transmitted magnetosheath ions in the MP/BL and incident/reflected magnetosheath ions in the magnetosheath boundary layer (MSBL) . The observations are consistent with magnetic reconnection occurring tailward of the cusp and going on continuously for a period of about four hours. The observed directions of the reconnection flows are consistent with the IMF orientation, thus indicating that reconnection is globally controlled by the IMF. Observations of a few flow reversals suggest passages of the spacecraft close to the X-line. The observation of low magnetic shear across the magnetopause during a flow reversal is consistent with component merging at least in one case. The observation of reconnection flows on the duskside magnetopause irrespective of the change in the sign of the IMF <i>B<sub>Y</sub></i> also suggests a better agreement with the component merging model, though antiparallel merging cannot be excluded because the distance from the X-line is not known.https://www.ann-geophys.net/23/461/2005/angeo-23-461-2005.pdf |
| spellingShingle | A. Retinò M. B. Bavassano Cattaneo M. F. Marcucci A. Vaivads M. André Y. Khotyaintsev T. Phan G. Pallocchia H. Rème E. Möbius B. Klecker C. W. Carlson M. McCarthy A. Korth R. Lundin A. Balogh Cluster multispacecraft observations at the high-latitude duskside magnetopause: implications for continuous and component magnetic reconnection Annales Geophysicae |
| title | Cluster multispacecraft observations at the high-latitude duskside magnetopause: implications for continuous and component magnetic reconnection |
| title_full | Cluster multispacecraft observations at the high-latitude duskside magnetopause: implications for continuous and component magnetic reconnection |
| title_fullStr | Cluster multispacecraft observations at the high-latitude duskside magnetopause: implications for continuous and component magnetic reconnection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cluster multispacecraft observations at the high-latitude duskside magnetopause: implications for continuous and component magnetic reconnection |
| title_short | Cluster multispacecraft observations at the high-latitude duskside magnetopause: implications for continuous and component magnetic reconnection |
| title_sort | cluster multispacecraft observations at the high latitude duskside magnetopause implications for continuous and component magnetic reconnection |
| url | https://www.ann-geophys.net/23/461/2005/angeo-23-461-2005.pdf |
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