Large‐amplitude electric fields associated with bursty bulk flow braking in the Earth's plasma sheet

Abstract

AbstractWe report observations of large‐amplitude (>50 mV/m) electric fields primarily associated with bursty bulk flow events. These electric fields reach ~500 mV/m, which are some of the largest electric fields (E) observed in the magnetotail. E not only has a larger than expected component perpendicular to the magnetic field but often has an intense parallel component. High time resolution waveforms reveal nonlinear structures such as electron phase‐space holes and double layers, which suggest strong field‐aligned currents or electron beams. Further examination shows that these large‐amplitude electric fields are almost always accompanied by enhanced magnetic field fluctuations. The electric fields are enhanced both above and below the ion cyclotron frequency, whereas the magnetic field fluctuations (δB) are mostly below the ion cyclotron frequency. Analysis of the wave spectra and the Poynting flux suggest that shear Alfvén waves are participating in these events. The Alfvén waves are revealed through the |δE|/|δB| ratio and strong field‐aligned Poynting flux, sometimes reaching nearly 1 mW/m2. This value, when mapped to the low‐altitude auroral region, exceeds 1 W/m2, which is an extreme value for that region. This Alfvénic activity is accompanied by evidence of compressional modes. These observations support a hypothesis whereby intense currents or electron beams, generated by kinetic Alfvénic waves that result from a turbulent cascade in bursty bulk flow (BBF) braking region, may be an energy source for large‐amplitude electric fields. The large‐amplitude electric fields may act as a dissipation mechanism and relax the highly tangled magnetic fields that result from the turbulence. Furthermore, these observations offer strong support that Alfvénic Poynting flux from the BBF braking region can be the energy source for Alfvénic aurora.