Journal
SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS
Volume 184, Issue 1-4, Pages 33-86Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s11214-014-0108-9
Keywords
Solar wind entry; Particle transport; Double cusp (lobe) reconnection; Kelvin-Helmholtz; Kinetic Alfven wave (KAW); Entropy; Fast flow; Turbulence; Ion to electron temperature ratio; Ion outflow
Categories
Funding
- International Space Science Institute (ISSI), Bern, Switzerland
- NSF [ATM-0802715, AGS-1058456, ATM0902730, AGS-1203299, ATM-0902907, AGS-1303579, 0847120, AGS-1003874]
- NASA [NNX13AE12G, NNH09AM53I, NNH09AK63I, NNH11AR07I, NNX09AF49G]
- DOE [DE-AC02-09CH11466]
- NASA THEMIS mission [SA405826326]
- Australian Research Council [FT110100316]
- European Community [313038/STORM]
- Romanian Ministry of National Education, CNCS, UEFISCDI [PN-II-ID PCE-2012-4-0418]
- Interuniversity Attraction Poles Programme
- Belgian Science Policy Office [IAP P7/08 CHARM]
- NSF GEM
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien
- Division Of Physics [1229408] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Directorate For Geosciences
- Div Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences [1058456] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- Div Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences
- Directorate For Geosciences [1303579, 1003874] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
- NASA [NNX09AF49G, 119082] Funding Source: Federal RePORTER
- Australian Research Council [FT110100316] Funding Source: Australian Research Council
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The plasma sheet is populated in part by the solar wind plasma. Four solar entry mechanisms are examined: (1) double cusp or double lobe reconnection, (2) Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability (KHI), (3) Kinetic Alfven waves (KAW), and (4) Impulsive Penetration. These mechanisms can efficiently fill the plasma sheet with cold dense ions during northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The solar wind ions appear to have been heated upon entry along the plasma sheet dawn flank. The cold-component (solar wind origin) ion density is higher on the dawn flank than the dusk flank. The asymmetric evolution of the KAW and magnetic reconnection in association with the KHI at the dawn and dusk flank magnetopause may partly produce the dawn-dusk temperature and density asymmetries. Solar wind that crosses the magnetopause lowers the specific entropy (s = p/rho(gamma)) of the plasma sheet along the flanks. Subsequent transport of the cold ions from the flanks to the midnight meridian increases s by a factor of 5. T-i, T-e, s(i), and s(e) increase when the solar wind particles are transported across the magnetopause, but T-i/T-e is roughly conserved. Within the magnetotail, E x B and curvature and gradient drifts play important roles in the plasma transport and can explain the large features seen in the plasma sheet. Turbulence can also play a significant role, particularly in the cold plasma transport from the flanks to the midnight meridian. Total entropy (S = pV(gamma)) conservation provides important constraints on the plasma sheet transport, e.g., fast flows.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available