Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufmsh43e..03a&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #SH43E-03
Physics
Plasma Physics
[2790] Magnetospheric Physics / Substorms, [7835] Space Plasma Physics / Magnetic Reconnection, [7846] Space Plasma Physics / Plasma Energization, [7859] Space Plasma Physics / Transport Processes
Scientific paper
With the advent of THEMIS and ARTEMIS five-point observations of the magnetotail, spanning distances from geosynchronous altitude out to lunar orbit and from a wide range of spatial separations, it is now possible to put to test old hypotheses regarding the magnetosphere acting as a marginally stable system exhibiting self-organized criticality. Observations suggest that localized plasma acceleration centers contribute to energy dissipation almost continuously at some level and at all phases of substorms. Propagation characteristics, source location and properties are consistent with prior expectation. A new understanding regarding their geoeffectiveness has emerged, related to the plasma specific entropy that governs the extent of their Earthward propagation. This, in turn, is associated with the plasma density that is accessible for reconnection at the time of their generation. Initially, energy dissipation is expected to occur along field lines via Poynting flux over tail cross-section that is governed by cross-field momentum diffusion. However, multiple bursts have the potential of quickly depleting the plasma sheet plasma of its density. Thus a critical stage is reached when lobe reconnection is initiated, enabling flux transport to the inner magnetosphere and the expansion phase of a global substorm instability. At that stage dissipation occurs via field aligned currents fed into the ionosphere, and driven by the pressure gradient build up in the inner magnetosphere thanks to the interaction of incoming flow bursts with the dipole region. The accessibility of the mantle-free lobe flux for reconnection determines both the spatial location of the global onset and the temporal behavior of the system's global indices, leading to its self-organization properties. Ground imaging and precipitating fluxes on low altitude spacecraft provide additional information regarding these processes.
Angelopoulos Vassilis
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