Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufmsm11d..08z&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #SM11D-08
Physics
Plasma Physics
[2744] Magnetospheric Physics / Magnetotail, [2764] Magnetospheric Physics / Plasma Sheet, [7811] Space Plasma Physics / Discontinuities, [7829] Space Plasma Physics / Kinetic Waves And Instabilities
Scientific paper
We investigate the small-scale structure of jet fronts through a case study of multi-spacecraft Cluster observations in the near-Earth flow-braking region at ˜-10 RE. We find that the interaction between the earthward moving fast plasma jet and the high-β ambient plasma in the plasma sheet results in magnetic pileup and compression ahead of the jet and rarefaction trailing the jet. It is shown that mirror-mode structures of ion gyroradius scale develop within the pileup region due to the observed ion temperature anisotropy (Ti⊥ > Ti∥ ). We suggest that the linear growth of these mirror modes is driven by the perpendicular plasma pressure perturbation (Δ p⊥) generated by the braking jet. When Δ p⊥ becomes too large, the mirror-mode structure cannot maintain pressure balance any longer, and consequently a shocklet is formed in the pileup region ahead of the jet front. We present the first evidence for such a kinetic shocklet in the flow-braking region.
Baumjohann Wolfgang
Khotyaintsev Yu. V.
Nakamura Riou
Retinò Alessandro
Vaivads Andris
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