Multipoint Observations of Magnetic Reconnection in the Martian Magnetotail Triggered by an Interplanetary Magnetic Field Rotation
The induced magnetosphere of Mars is highly dynamic, driven by both the upstream solar wind and the planet’s crustal magnetic fields. This variability can occur on timescales much shorter than a single spacecraft orbit, making it difficult to distinguish between spatial and temporal variations in th...
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2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adbf10 |
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| author | Yuanzheng Wen Jasper S. Halekas Han-Wen Shen Abigail R. Azari David A. Brain Yaxue Dong David L. Mitchell Christian X. Mazelle Jared R. Espley James P. McFadden |
| author_facet | Yuanzheng Wen Jasper S. Halekas Han-Wen Shen Abigail R. Azari David A. Brain Yaxue Dong David L. Mitchell Christian X. Mazelle Jared R. Espley James P. McFadden |
| author_sort | Yuanzheng Wen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The induced magnetosphere of Mars is highly dynamic, driven by both the upstream solar wind and the planet’s crustal magnetic fields. This variability can occur on timescales much shorter than a single spacecraft orbit, making it difficult to distinguish between spatial and temporal variations in the induced magnetosphere. In this study, we utilize simultaneous multipoint observations from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) and Tianwen-1 missions to investigate how the induced magnetosphere responds to dynamic changes in the solar wind. We report a magnetic reconnection event observed by MAVEN in the Martian magnetotail, occurring a few minutes after an interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) rotation observed by Tianwen-1 in the upstream solar wind. This reconnection event is characterized by clear Hall magnetic field signatures and high-speed ion jets, indicating the presence of a diffusion region. Our analysis of the change in the magnetic field morphology suggests that this reconnection was likely triggered by this IMF rotation, occurring during the resulting reconfiguration of the induced magnetosphere. This multipoint study demonstrates the important role of dynamic upstream solar wind conditions, particularly IMF rotations, in driving the plasma processes in the Martian magnetotail, contributing to our understanding of solar wind energy and momentum transfer and their roles in ion escape in Mars’s hybrid magnetosphere. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e46ccb25d1e244b190938efe653348fd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
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| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-e46ccb25d1e244b190938efe653348fd2025-08-22T16:09:24ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052025-01-019822L4210.3847/2041-8213/adbf10Multipoint Observations of Magnetic Reconnection in the Martian Magnetotail Triggered by an Interplanetary Magnetic Field RotationYuanzheng Wen0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6141-6171Jasper S. Halekas1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5258-6128Han-Wen Shen2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6733-5065Abigail R. Azari3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8665-5459David A. Brain4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8932-368XYaxue Dong5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3491-7506David L. Mitchell6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9154-7236Christian X. Mazelle7https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5332-9561Jared R. Espley8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6371-9683James P. McFadden9Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa , Iowa City, IA, USA ; yuanzheng-wen@uiowa.eduDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa , Iowa City, IA, USA ; yuanzheng-wen@uiowa.eduDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa , Iowa City, IA, USA ; yuanzheng-wen@uiowa.eduDepartment of Physics, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB, Canada; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB, Canada; Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute , Edmonton, AB, CanadaLaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado , Boulder, CO, USALaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado , Boulder, CO, USASpace Sciences Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley , Berkeley, CA, USAInstitut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP) , Toulouse, FranceSolar System Exploration Division , NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USASpace Sciences Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley , Berkeley, CA, USAThe induced magnetosphere of Mars is highly dynamic, driven by both the upstream solar wind and the planet’s crustal magnetic fields. This variability can occur on timescales much shorter than a single spacecraft orbit, making it difficult to distinguish between spatial and temporal variations in the induced magnetosphere. In this study, we utilize simultaneous multipoint observations from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) and Tianwen-1 missions to investigate how the induced magnetosphere responds to dynamic changes in the solar wind. We report a magnetic reconnection event observed by MAVEN in the Martian magnetotail, occurring a few minutes after an interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) rotation observed by Tianwen-1 in the upstream solar wind. This reconnection event is characterized by clear Hall magnetic field signatures and high-speed ion jets, indicating the presence of a diffusion region. Our analysis of the change in the magnetic field morphology suggests that this reconnection was likely triggered by this IMF rotation, occurring during the resulting reconfiguration of the induced magnetosphere. This multipoint study demonstrates the important role of dynamic upstream solar wind conditions, particularly IMF rotations, in driving the plasma processes in the Martian magnetotail, contributing to our understanding of solar wind energy and momentum transfer and their roles in ion escape in Mars’s hybrid magnetosphere.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adbf10MarsSolar windPlanetary magnetospheresSpace plasmasSolar-planetary interactionsPlanetary science |
| spellingShingle | Yuanzheng Wen Jasper S. Halekas Han-Wen Shen Abigail R. Azari David A. Brain Yaxue Dong David L. Mitchell Christian X. Mazelle Jared R. Espley James P. McFadden Multipoint Observations of Magnetic Reconnection in the Martian Magnetotail Triggered by an Interplanetary Magnetic Field Rotation The Astrophysical Journal Letters Mars Solar wind Planetary magnetospheres Space plasmas Solar-planetary interactions Planetary science |
| title | Multipoint Observations of Magnetic Reconnection in the Martian Magnetotail Triggered by an Interplanetary Magnetic Field Rotation |
| title_full | Multipoint Observations of Magnetic Reconnection in the Martian Magnetotail Triggered by an Interplanetary Magnetic Field Rotation |
| title_fullStr | Multipoint Observations of Magnetic Reconnection in the Martian Magnetotail Triggered by an Interplanetary Magnetic Field Rotation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multipoint Observations of Magnetic Reconnection in the Martian Magnetotail Triggered by an Interplanetary Magnetic Field Rotation |
| title_short | Multipoint Observations of Magnetic Reconnection in the Martian Magnetotail Triggered by an Interplanetary Magnetic Field Rotation |
| title_sort | multipoint observations of magnetic reconnection in the martian magnetotail triggered by an interplanetary magnetic field rotation |
| topic | Mars Solar wind Planetary magnetospheres Space plasmas Solar-planetary interactions Planetary science |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adbf10 |
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