TY - JOUR
T1 - Dipolarization fronts in the magnetotail plasma sheet
AU - Runov, A.
AU - Angelopoulos, V.
AU - Sitnov, M.
AU - Sergeev, V. A.
AU - Nakamura, R.
AU - Nishimura, Y.
AU - Frey, H. U.
AU - McFadden, J. P.
AU - Larson, D.
AU - Bonnell, J.
AU - Glassmeier, K. H.
AU - Auster, U.
AU - Connors, M.
AU - Russell, C. T.
AU - Singer, H. J.
N1 - Funding Information:
We acknowledge NASA contracts NAS5-02099 and NNX08AD85G , the German Ministry for Economy and Technology and the German Center for Aviation and Space (DLR), contract 50 OC 0302 . We thank P.L. Pritchett and L. Lyons for discussions; D. Danskin for providing NRCan CANMOS data; E. Lucek and I. Dandouras for providing Cluster FGM and CIS data; B. Kerr, P. Cruce, M. Feuerstein, E. Penou and J. Hohl for help with software and editing.
PY - 2011/5
Y1 - 2011/5
N2 - We present a THEMIS study of a dipolarization front associated with a bursty bulk flow (BBF) that was observed in the central plasma sheet sequentially at X=-20.1, -16.7, and -11.0RE. Simultaneously, the THEMIS ground network observed the formation of a northsouth auroral form and intensification of westward auroral zone currents. Timing of the signatures in space suggests earthward propagation of the front at a velocity of 300 km/s. Spatial profiles of current and electron density on the front reveal a spatial scale of 500 km, comparable to an ion inertial length and an ion thermal gyroradius. This kinetic-scale structure traveled a macroscale distance of 10RE in about 4 min without loss of coherence. The dipolarization front, therefore, is an example of space plasma cross-scale coupling. THEMIS observations at different geocentric distances are similar to recent particle-in-cell simulations demonstrating the appearance of dipolarization fronts on the leading edge of plasma fast flows in the vicinity of a reconnection site. Dipolarization fronts, therefore, may be interpreted as remote signatures of transient reconnection.
AB - We present a THEMIS study of a dipolarization front associated with a bursty bulk flow (BBF) that was observed in the central plasma sheet sequentially at X=-20.1, -16.7, and -11.0RE. Simultaneously, the THEMIS ground network observed the formation of a northsouth auroral form and intensification of westward auroral zone currents. Timing of the signatures in space suggests earthward propagation of the front at a velocity of 300 km/s. Spatial profiles of current and electron density on the front reveal a spatial scale of 500 km, comparable to an ion inertial length and an ion thermal gyroradius. This kinetic-scale structure traveled a macroscale distance of 10RE in about 4 min without loss of coherence. The dipolarization front, therefore, is an example of space plasma cross-scale coupling. THEMIS observations at different geocentric distances are similar to recent particle-in-cell simulations demonstrating the appearance of dipolarization fronts on the leading edge of plasma fast flows in the vicinity of a reconnection site. Dipolarization fronts, therefore, may be interpreted as remote signatures of transient reconnection.
KW - Planetary magnetosphere
KW - Plasma sheet
KW - Reconnection
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79251648581&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pss.2010.06.006
DO - 10.1016/j.pss.2010.06.006
M3 - Journal Article
AN - SCOPUS:79251648581
SN - 0032-0633
VL - 59
SP - 517
EP - 525
JO - Planetary and Space Science
JF - Planetary and Space Science
IS - 7
ER -