Flow vortices associated with flux transfer events moving along the magnetopause: Observations and an MHD simulation

Details Flow vortices associated with flux transfer events moving along the magnetopause: Observations and an MHD simulation Flow vortices associated with flux transfer events moving along the magnetopause: Observations and an MHD simulation

Aug 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011jgra..11608202z&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 116, Issue A8, CiteID A08202

Physics

Magnetospheric Physics: Field-Aligned Currents And Current Systems (2409), Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetic Reconnection (7526, 7835), Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetopause And Boundary Layers, Magnetospheric Physics: Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions

Scientific paper

Between May and October in 2007 and 2008, the five THEMIS spacecraft recorded a total of 3701 instances of bipolar magnetic variations in the magnetopause normal direction associated with enhancements of field magnitude that are interpreted as flux transfer events (FTEs) on the magnetopause and/or associated perturbations in the background magnetosphere and magnetosheath. When spacecraft traversed the FTE structures, the velocity components tangential to the magnetopause were generally antisunward, consistent with the sheath flow direction. On the other hand, when the spacecraft were located within the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL) in the magnetosphere and remotely sensed the perturbations related to FTEs on the magnetopause, the velocity tangential to the magnetopause was found to be antisunward near the magnetopause but sunward further in from the magnetopause. The normal component variations for both groups had the same bipolar structure with inward flows followed by outward flows. This pattern has the form of a flow vortex just inside the magnetopause associated with an FTE moving in an antisunward direction at or outside of the magnetopause. A 2-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation code has been developed to understand the flow perturbations outside an FTE. Our simulation starts from an explicit solution, in which it is assumed that the plasma is inviscid and incompressible and no flow vortex is present. Only when we impose finite viscosity near the FTEs do flow vortices develop. However, the origin of this viscosity remains unknown.

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