Comparison of Magnetospheric Multiscale ion jet signatures with predicted reconnection site locations at the magnetopause

Abstract Magnetic reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause is the primary process by which solar wind plasma and energy gains access to the magnetosphere. One indication that magnetic reconnection is occurring is the observation of accelerated plasma as a jet tangential to the magnetopause. The...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: S. M. Petrinec, J. L. Burch, S. A. Fuselier, R. G. Gomez, W. Lewis, K. J. Trattner, R. Ergun, B. Mauk, C. J. Pollock, C. Schiff, R. J. Strangeway, C. T. Russell, T.‐D. Phan, D. Young
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-06-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069626
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850274958392950784
author S. M. Petrinec
J. L. Burch
S. A. Fuselier
R. G. Gomez
W. Lewis
K. J. Trattner
R. Ergun
B. Mauk
C. J. Pollock
C. Schiff
R. J. Strangeway
C. T. Russell
T.‐D. Phan
D. Young
author_facet S. M. Petrinec
J. L. Burch
S. A. Fuselier
R. G. Gomez
W. Lewis
K. J. Trattner
R. Ergun
B. Mauk
C. J. Pollock
C. Schiff
R. J. Strangeway
C. T. Russell
T.‐D. Phan
D. Young
author_sort S. M. Petrinec
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Magnetic reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause is the primary process by which solar wind plasma and energy gains access to the magnetosphere. One indication that magnetic reconnection is occurring is the observation of accelerated plasma as a jet tangential to the magnetopause. The direction of ion jets along the magnetopause surface as observed by the Fast Plasma Instrument (FPI) and the Hot Plasma Composition Analyzer (HPCA) instrument on board the recently launched Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) set of spacecraft is examined. For those cases where ion jets are clearly discerned, the direction of origin compares well statistically with the predicted location of magnetic reconnection using convected solar wind observations in conjunction with the Maximum Magnetic Shear model.
format Article
id doaj-art-0cd4d3395d6d4deab0039f7838fe0ef3
institution OA Journals
issn 0094-8276
1944-8007
language English
publishDate 2016-06-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-0cd4d3395d6d4deab0039f7838fe0ef32025-08-20T01:50:59ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-06-0143125997600410.1002/2016GL069626Comparison of Magnetospheric Multiscale ion jet signatures with predicted reconnection site locations at the magnetopauseS. M. Petrinec0J. L. Burch1S. A. Fuselier2R. G. Gomez3W. Lewis4K. J. Trattner5R. Ergun6B. Mauk7C. J. Pollock8C. Schiff9R. J. Strangeway10C. T. Russell11T.‐D. Phan12D. Young13Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center Palo Alto California USASouthwest Research Institute San Antonio Texas USASouthwest Research Institute San Antonio Texas USASouthwest Research Institute San Antonio Texas USASouthwest Research Institute San Antonio Texas USALaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado USALaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics University of Colorado Boulder Boulder Colorado USAJohns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Laurel Maryland USANASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt Maryland USANASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt Maryland USAUniversity of California Los Angeles California USAUniversity of California Los Angeles California USASpace Sciences Laboratory University of California Berkeley California USASouthwest Research Institute San Antonio Texas USAAbstract Magnetic reconnection at the Earth's magnetopause is the primary process by which solar wind plasma and energy gains access to the magnetosphere. One indication that magnetic reconnection is occurring is the observation of accelerated plasma as a jet tangential to the magnetopause. The direction of ion jets along the magnetopause surface as observed by the Fast Plasma Instrument (FPI) and the Hot Plasma Composition Analyzer (HPCA) instrument on board the recently launched Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) set of spacecraft is examined. For those cases where ion jets are clearly discerned, the direction of origin compares well statistically with the predicted location of magnetic reconnection using convected solar wind observations in conjunction with the Maximum Magnetic Shear model.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069626magnetopausereconnectionion jetsaccelerated flows
spellingShingle S. M. Petrinec
J. L. Burch
S. A. Fuselier
R. G. Gomez
W. Lewis
K. J. Trattner
R. Ergun
B. Mauk
C. J. Pollock
C. Schiff
R. J. Strangeway
C. T. Russell
T.‐D. Phan
D. Young
Comparison of Magnetospheric Multiscale ion jet signatures with predicted reconnection site locations at the magnetopause
Geophysical Research Letters
magnetopause
reconnection
ion jets
accelerated flows
title Comparison of Magnetospheric Multiscale ion jet signatures with predicted reconnection site locations at the magnetopause
title_full Comparison of Magnetospheric Multiscale ion jet signatures with predicted reconnection site locations at the magnetopause
title_fullStr Comparison of Magnetospheric Multiscale ion jet signatures with predicted reconnection site locations at the magnetopause
title_full_unstemmed Comparison of Magnetospheric Multiscale ion jet signatures with predicted reconnection site locations at the magnetopause
title_short Comparison of Magnetospheric Multiscale ion jet signatures with predicted reconnection site locations at the magnetopause
title_sort comparison of magnetospheric multiscale ion jet signatures with predicted reconnection site locations at the magnetopause
topic magnetopause
reconnection
ion jets
accelerated flows
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069626
work_keys_str_mv AT smpetrinec comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause
AT jlburch comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause
AT safuselier comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause
AT rggomez comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause
AT wlewis comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause
AT kjtrattner comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause
AT rergun comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause
AT bmauk comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause
AT cjpollock comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause
AT cschiff comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause
AT rjstrangeway comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause
AT ctrussell comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause
AT tdphan comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause
AT dyoung comparisonofmagnetosphericmultiscaleionjetsignatureswithpredictedreconnectionsitelocationsatthemagnetopause