the magnetospheric cusp: solar wind – magnetosphere – ionosphere – thermosphere coupling
DESCRIPTION
The Magnetospheric Cusp: Solar Wind – Magnetosphere – Ionosphere – Thermosphere Coupling. R. J. Strangeway IGPP & ESS /UCLA. Special Acknowledgement to J. Raeder, UNH, and the Community Coordinated Modeling Center. Outline. Introduction – why talk about the cusp? - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 1
The Magnetospheric Cusp: Solar Wind – Magnetosphere –
Ionosphere – Thermosphere Coupling
R. J. StrangewayIGPP & ESS /UCLA
Special Acknowledgement to J. Raeder, UNH, and the Community Coordinated Modeling Center.
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 2
Outline
• Introduction – why talk about the cusp?
• Reconnection topology and the cusp – where is the cusp?
• Cusp ion dispersion at middle altitudes – where is the reconnection?
• Cusp ion dispersion at low altitudes – multiple cusps?
• Field-aligned currents – Force balance and cusp dynamics
• Ion outflows – Joule dissipation and electron precipitation
• Neutral upwelling – Important for satellite drag
• Summary
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 3
What is so Special About the Cusp?
• The cusp is the region that provides the most direct path from the solar wind to the ionosphere and thermosphere
• The cusp requires an understanding of several processes: Reconnection topology and Interplanetary Magnetic Field direction
effects (IMF By)
Steady-state, multi-point, and time-varying reconnection
Particle kinematics (time-of-flight, velocity dispersion)
Field-aligned current generation
Joule Dissipation – ion and neutral upwelling and outflows
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 4
Outline
• Introduction – why talk about the cusp?
• Reconnection topology and the cusp – where is the cusp?
• Cusp ion dispersion at middle altitudes – where is the reconnection?
• Cusp ion dispersion at low altitudes – multiple cusps?
• Field-aligned currents – Force balance and cusp dynamics
• Ion outflows – Joule dissipation and electron precipitation
• Neutral upwelling – Important for satellite drag
• Summary
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 5
Anti-parallel merging [Luhmann, 1984]
Luhmann et al. [1984] used Spreiter gas dynamic model to map IMF to the magnetopause
Contours show regions of anti-parallel merging (up to 90˚)
Crooker [1985] used superposition of IMF and Chapman-Ferraro field at magnetopause, considered component merging
Cooling [2001] extended Luhmann et al. [1984] to allow for component merging
B = (0,0,1)(northward)
B = (0,1,0)(By only)
B = (0,0,-1)(southward)
B = (0,-1,-1)
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Cooling Model – Component Merging
Luhmann et al. [1984] Cooling et al. [2001]
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Outline
• Introduction – why talk about the cusp?
• Reconnection topology and the cusp – where is the cusp?
• Cusp ion dispersion at middle altitudes – where is the reconnection?
• Cusp ion dispersion at low altitudes – multiple cusps?
• Field-aligned currents – Force balance and cusp dynamics
• Ion outflows – Joule dissipation and electron precipitation
• Neutral upwelling – Important for satellite drag
• Summary
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 8
Trattner et al. [2012] component and anti-parallel merging
Characteristic signature of cusp is energy dispersed ions
Plot shows Polar data at ~ 5.5 Re
Mapping to magnetopause (source region) uses time-of-flight energy dispersion comparing downgoing to reflected [Onsager et al., 1990]
Multiple dispersion events could be because of:•Multiple reconnection sites•Time-varying reconnection•High latitude and low-latitude reconnection (different history)
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 9
Trattner et al. [2012], different topology
By-dominated – nearly anti-parallel, multiple X-lines?
Southward Bz – anti-parallel, multiple injections from same point
Northward Bz – component merging, extended region
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IMF By – Hemispherical Asymmetry
Østgaard et al. [2005] investigate cusp proton precipitation asymmetry using IMAGE (viewing north) and Polar (viewing south)
Cusp precipitation consistent with locus of anti-parallel merging
Bx contributes to hemi-spherical differences
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Outline
• Introduction – why talk about the cusp?
• Reconnection topology and the cusp – where is the cusp?
• Cusp ion dispersion at middle altitudes – where is the reconnection?
• Cusp ion dispersion at low altitudes – multiple cusps?
• Field-aligned currents – Force balance and cusp dynamics
• Ion outflows – Joule dissipation and electron precipitation
• Neutral upwelling – Important for satellite drag
• Summary
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 12
Newell et al. [2007] – Forward Dispersion
DMSP “FAST”
Note: At low altitudes the spacecraft moves through structures
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Newell et al. [2007] – Reverse Dispersion
DMSP “FAST”
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Newell et al. [2007] – Double Cusp
DMSP “FAST”
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Double Cusp – Wing et al. [2001]
Wing et al. [2001] argue that double cusps are because the dispersing ions come from two different reconnection sites
DMSP data from Newell et al. [2007] (not the same event)
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Outline
• Introduction – why talk about the cusp?
• Reconnection topology and the cusp – where is the cusp?
• Cusp ion dispersion at middle altitudes – where is the reconnection?
• Cusp ion dispersion at low altitudes – multiple cusps?
• Field-aligned currents – Force balance and cusp dynamics
• Ion outflows – Joule dissipation and electron precipitation
• Neutral upwelling – Important for satellite drag
• Summary
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 17
Force Balance
For simplicity assume neutrals at rest (frame of reference)
Ionospheric flow:
Frozen-in electrons:
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IMF By-Dependent Convection
Burch et al. [1985]
By > 0 By < 0
Currents Convection
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Weimer [2001] FAC morphology
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FAST Orbit 8276 – Strong IMF By
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MHD FAC Predictions
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Field Topology – Shock Passage
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FAST Orbit 8284 – Double Cusp?
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Outline
• Introduction – why talk about the cusp?
• Reconnection topology and the cusp – where is the cusp?
• Cusp ion dispersion at middle altitudes – where is the reconnection?
• Cusp ion dispersion at low altitudes – multiple cusps?
• Field-aligned currents – Force balance and cusp dynamics
• Ion outflows – Joule dissipation and electron precipitation
• Neutral upwelling – Important for satellite drag
• Summary
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 25
Ion Outflows
Type 1 Type 2
Type 1 and Type 2 defined by Wahlund et al. [1992]
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Ion Outflows – Including Alfvén Waves
Type 1 Type 2
Type 1 and Type 2 defined by Wahlund et al. [1992]
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Joule Dissipation and Heating RatesPlasma frame:
Neutral frame:
Rate of temperature increase:
Minority species temperature increases more rapidly
See [Strangeway, JGR, 2012]
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 28
Outline
• Introduction – why talk about the cusp?
• Reconnection topology and the cusp – where is the cusp?
• Cusp ion dispersion at middle altitudes – where is the reconnection?
• Cusp ion dispersion at low altitudes – multiple cusps?
• Field-aligned currents – Force balance and cusp dynamics
• Ion outflows – Joule dissipation and electron precipitation
• Neutral upwelling – Important for satellite drag
• Summary
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 29
Cusp Statistics – Knipp et al. [2011]
Poynting flux statistics from DMSP
Southern hemisphere is mirror-reflected about noon as a function of IMF By
Events required |By| > 10 nT
(a) N:By < 0, Bz < 0; (b) N:By > 0, Bz < 0(c) N:By < 0, Bz > 0; (d) N:By > 0, Bz > 0
Red is 100 µW/m2
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 30
Thermospheric Response – Crowley et al. [2011]
CHAMP sees strongly neutral density modulation near the cusp
Modified TIME-GCM using real-time AMIE data shows enhanced densities too
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Poynting Flux Versus Neutral Density – Crowley et al. [2011]
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 32
Small scale FACs – Lühr et al. [2004]
CHAMP also sees large-amplitude small-scale FACs in the Cusp
Lühr et al [2004] argue that these can significantly enhance the heating
Heating rate depends on E2,
But there is an issue with time scales, neutrals heat much more slowly than ions
June 19, 2012 GEM - Cusp Tutorial - R. J. Strangeway 33
Summary
• Reconnection topology controls the location of the cusp
• There is both a high latitude (anti-parallel merging) and low latitude (component merging) source of dispersing ions – depends on IMF orientation
• Field-aligned currents and Joule dissipation in the ionosphere strongly affected by IMF By – I suggest this is high latitude merging
• Ion outflows and neutral upwelling both appear to be associated with Joule dissipation – question of timescales for the neutrals