Accelerated ions ahead of Earthward-propagating dipolarization fronts

Details Accelerated ions ahead of Earthward-propagating dipolarization fronts Accelerated ions ahead of Earthward-propagating dipolarization fronts

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmsm41a1859z&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #SM41A-1859

Physics

[2744] Magnetospheric Physics / Magnetotail, [2753] Magnetospheric Physics / Numerical Modeling, [2764] Magnetospheric Physics / Plasma Sheet, [2790] Magnetospheric Physics / Substorms

Scientific paper

Earthward-propagating dipolarization fronts, interpreted as thin vertical current sheets separating plasmas of different origins in the Earth's magnetotail, are usually observed near the leading edge of bursty bulk flows. However, observations have shown that the onset of bursty flows are typically ˜ 1 min ahead of the dipolarization front arrival. Examination of the ion distribution functions reveals that the earthward flows ahead of the front arrival are due to the appearance of a new ion component on top of a pre-existing plasma sheet component. We make use of simulation tools to suggest that the second population that contribute most to the plasma velocity is composed of ions that have been reflected and accelerated by the approaching front. The ions are injected earthward upstream of the front, with their regions of accessibility confined by their gyroradii around background Bz. Statistical surveys of THEMIS observations confirm that the ion accessibility regions ahead of the front are consistent with the time differences between the appearances of earthward flows and the dipolarization front.

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