Field-aligned Electron Research Articles

Statistical analysis and multi-instrument overview of the quasi-periodic 1-hour pulsations in Saturn’s outer magnetosphere

The in-situ exploration of the magnetospheres of Jupiter and Saturn has revealed different periodic processes. In particular, in the Saturnian magnetosphere, several studies have reported pulsations in the outer magnetosphere with a periodicity of about 1 h in the measurements of charged particle fluxes, plasma wave, magnetic field strength and auroral emissions brightness. The Low-Energy Magnetospheric Measurement System detector of the Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument (MIMI/LEMMS) on board Cassini regularly detects 1-hour quasi-periodic enhancements in the intensities of electrons with an energy range from a hundred keV to several MeV. We extend an earlier survey of these relativistic electron injections using 10 years of LEMMS observations in addition to context measurements by several other Cassini magnetospheric experiments. The one-year extension of the data and a different method of detection of the injections do not lead to a discrepancy with the results of the previous survey, indicating an absence of a long-term temporal evolution of this phenomenon. We identified 720 pulsed events in the outer magnetosphere over a wide range of latitudes and local times, revealing that this phenomenon is common and frequent in Saturn’s magnetosphere. However, the distribution of the injection events presents a strong local time asymmetry with ten times more events in the duskside than in the dawnside. In addition to the study of their topology, we present a first statistical analysis of the pulsed events properties. The morphology of the pulsations shows a weak local time dependence which could imply a high-latitude acceleration source. We provide some clues that the electron population associated with this pulsed phenomenon is distinct from the field-aligned electron beams previously observed in Saturn’s magnetosphere, but both populations can be mixed. We have also investigated the signatures of each electron injection event in the observations acquired by the Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument and the magnetometer (MAG). Correlated pulsed signatures are observed in the plasma wave emissions, especially in the auroral hiss, for 12% of the electron injections identified in the LEMMS data. Additionally, in about 20% of the events, such coincident pulsed signatures have been also observed in the magnetic field measurements, some of them being indicative of field-aligned currents. This analysis combined with the multi-instrument approach sets constraints on the origin and significance of the pulsed events. Hence, our results suggest that the acceleration process providing the quasi-periodic relativistic electrons takes place at high-latitudes.

Study on Energy Features During a Field-Aligned Electron Events in the Cusp Region

根据Cluster卫星2001年9月30日在北半球极尖区观测到的一次强扰动场向电子事件数据，分析研究了这次事件期间场向电子的能量特性，讨论了场向电子对太阳风能量向磁层的传输和磁层-电离层耦合过程中能量传输的作用.分析认为，这次电子扰动事件期间电子速度和密度都具有很强的扰动变化，电子速度增加是一个主要特点.本次事件中低能段5~200eV和500~1500eV内的能谱分析结果表明，上行电子通量大于下行电子通量，上行电子主要来源于电离层，说明电离层上行电子在本次事件中具有非常活跃的作用.根据电离层中带电粒子的能量特征分析结果可知，这次事件中电离层起源的上行电子在上行过程中得到了加速.关于加速机制问题还有待深入研究.

Some properties of field-aligned electron events in high-altitude polar regions

Using data from the Cluster spacecraft from January 2003 to December 2004, we perform a statistical study on some properties of the field-aligned electron (FAE) events and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) By dependence of FAE events with different durations in high-altitude polar regions. A total of 1335 FAE events were observed by the C3 spacecraft. More down-flowing events were observed in the Southern Hemisphere, and more up-flowing events were observed in the Northern Hemisphere. It proves that down-flowing events mainly originate from magnetosphere or solar wind and up-flowing events are mainly derived from ionosphere. Short-lifetime events showed a morning concentration in the magnetic local time distribution, and long-lifetime events were concentrated both before and after noon. For the IMF By dependence of the FAE events, short-lifetime events were much affected by IMF By and resulted in a morning concentration, while the long-lifetime events were almost unaffected by IMF By. With further analysis, we determined that the short-lifetime and long-lifetime events had different sources.

Detection of a strongly negative surface potential at Saturn's moon Hyperion.

On 26 September 2005, Cassini conducted its only close targeted flyby of Saturn's small, irregularly shaped moon Hyperion. Approximately 6 min before the closest approach, the electron spectrometer (ELS), part of the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) detected a field-aligned electron population originating from the direction of the moon's surface. Plasma wave activity detected by the Radio and Plasma Wave instrument suggests electron beam activity. A dropout in energetic electrons was observed by both CAPS-ELS and the Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument Low-Energy Magnetospheric Measurement System, indicating that the moon and the spacecraft were magnetically connected when the field-aligned electron population was observed. We show that this constitutes a remote detection of a strongly negative (∼ −200 V) surface potential on Hyperion, consistent with the predicted surface potential in regions near the solar terminator.

Climatology of zonal wind and large-scale FAC with respect to the density anomaly in the cusp region: seasonal, solar cycle, and IMF <i>B</i><sub><i>y</i></sub> dependence

Abstract. We investigate the relationship of the thermospheric density anomaly (ρrel) with the neutral zonal wind velocity (Uzonal), large-scale field-aligned current (FAC), small-scale FAC, and electron temperature (Te) using the superposed epoch analysis (SEA) method in the cusp region. The dependence of these variables on the sign of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) By component and local season is of particular interest. Also, the conditions that lead to larger relative density enhancements are investigated. Our results are based on CHAMP satellite data and OMNI online data of IMF for solar maximum (March 2002–March 2007) and minimum (March 2004–March 2009) conditions in the Northern Hemisphere. In the cusp region the SEA technique uses the time and location of the mass density anomaly peaks as reference parameters. On average, the amplitude of the relative density anomaly, ρrel, does not depend on the solar cycle phase, local season, and IMF By sign. Also, it is apparent that the amplitude of IMF By does not have a large influence on ρrel, while the negative IMF Bz amplitude prevailing about half an hour earlier is in good correlation with ρrel. Both the zonal wind velocity and the large-scale FAC (LSFAC) distribution exhibit a clear dependence on the IMF By sign. Uzonal is directed towards dawn for both positive and negative IMF By at all local seasons and for solar maximum and minimum conditions. There is a systematic imbalance between downward (upward) and upward (downward) large-scale FACs peaks equatorward and poleward of the reference point, respectively, for the IMF By+ (By−) case. Relative density enhancements appear halfway between region 1 and region 0 currents in closer proximity to the upward FAC region. FAC densities and mass density anomaly amplitudes are not well correlated, but it is apparent that there is a close spatial relationship between ρrel and LSFAC. At this point we cannot offer any simple functional relation between these two variables, because there seem to be additional quantities controlling this relation.

Current sheets and pressure anisotropy in the reconnection exhaust

A particle-in-cell simulation shows that the exhaust during anti-parallel reconnection in the collisionless regime contains a current sheet extending 100 inertial lengths from the X line. The current sheet is supported by electron pressure anisotropy near the X line and ion anisotropy farther downstream. Field-aligned electron currents flowing outside the magnetic separatrices feed the exhaust current sheet and generate the out-of-plane, or Hall, magnetic field. Existing models based on different mechanisms for each particle species provide good estimates for the levels of pressure anisotropy. The ion anisotropy, which is strong enough to reach the firehose instability threshold, is also important for overall force balance. It reduces the outflow speed of the plasma.

ELECTRON HEAT CONDUCTION IN THE SOLAR WIND: TRANSITION FROM SPITZER-HÄRM TO THE COLLISIONLESS LIMIT

We use a statistically significant set of measurements to show that the field-aligned electron heat flux $q_\parallel$ in the solar wind at 1 AU is consistent with the Spitzer-H\"{a}rm collisional heat flux $q_{sh}$ for temperature gradient scales larger than a few mean free paths $L_T \gtrsim 3.5 ~\lambda_{fp}$. This represents about 65% of the measured data and corresponds primarily to high $\beta$, weakly collisional plasma ('slow solar wind'). In the more collisionless regime $\lambda_{fp}/L_T \gtrsim 0.28$, the electron heat flux is limited to $q_\parallel/q_0 \sim 0.3$, independent of mean free path, where $q_0$ is the 'free-streaming' value; the measured $q_\parallel$ does not achieve the full $q_0$. This constraint $q_\parallel/q_0 \sim 0.3$ might be attributed to wave-particle interactions, an interplanetary electric potential, or inherent flux limitation. We also show a $\beta_e$ dependence to these results that is consistent with a local radial electron temperature profile $T_e \sim r^{-\alpha}$ that is a function of the thermal electron beta $\alpha = \alpha(\beta_e)$ and that the $\beta$ dependence of the collisionless regulation constraint is not obviously consistent with a whistler heat flux instability. We discuss the results in a broader astrophysical context.

Characterising electron butterfly pitch angle distributions in the magnetosphere through observations and simulations

Abstract. The Imaging Electron Spectrometer (IES) on the Polar satellite has measured the average characteristics of the equatorial electron pitch angle distributions (PADs) in the midnight sector as a function of radial distance out to the 9 RE apogee of the Polar satellite. Depressions in the observed fluxes of electrons occur with pitch angles around 90° in the equatorial zone, while the more field-aligned electrons remain largely unchanged. The orbital precessions of the satellite have allowed much of the inner equatorial magnetosphere to be observed. Statistically, butterfly PADs with different shapes are observed selectively in different regions, which can provide insight to their source and possible history. Electron paths of varied pitch angles were modelled using Runge-Kutta approximations of the Lorentz force in a Tsyganenko (T96) simulated magnetosphere. The resulting drift paths suggest that the process of magnetopause shadowing plays a significant role in the loss of these electrons. Case studies of the drifting patterns of electrons with varied pitch angles were simulated from Polar's orbit when a butterfly PAD was observed on 3 October 2002 at an altitude near 9 RE and on 12 September 2000 at an altitude near 6 RE. These two locations represent regions on each side of the boundary of stable trapping. The modelling effort strongly suggests that magnetopause shadowing does play a significant role in the loss of equatorially drifting electrons from the outer regions of the inner magnetosphere.

Observations of Ionospheric Electron Beams in the Plasma Sheet

Electrons streaming along the magnetic field direction are frequently observed in the plasma sheet of Earth's geomagnetic tail. The impact of these field-aligned electrons on the dynamics of the geomagnetic tail is however not well understood. Here we report the first detection of field-aligned electrons with fluxes increasing at ~1 keV forming a "cool" beam just prior to the dissipation of energy in the current sheet. These field-aligned beams at ~15 R(E) in the plasma sheet are nearly identical to those commonly observed at auroral altitudes, suggesting the beams are auroral electrons accelerated upward by electric fields parallel (E([parallel])) to the geomagnetic field. The density of the beams relative to the ambient electron density is δn(b)/n(e)~5-13% and the current carried by the beams is ~10(-8)-10(-7) A m(-2). These beams in high β plasmas with large density and temperature gradients appear to satisfy the Bohm criteria to initiate current driven instabilities.

Field-Aligned Electrons in Polar Region Observed by Cluster on 30 September 2001

The physical process in the Earth's polar region is very complex and still needs to be further studied. Using the data from Cluster satellite measurement, an analysis on field-aligned electrons in the mid-latitude cusp on 30 September 2001 has been performed. The satellite observed a down-flowing electron event in the low-latitude boundary and a sequential up-flowing electron event in the high-latitude boundary of the cusp region. The down-flowing electron had a velocity as high as 500 km/s and a flux of 2.0 × 109 cm−2·s−1. The up-flowing electron had a velocity up to 1200 km/s and a flux of 4.9 × 109 cm−2·s−1. Both the velocity and the flux observed in this event are the maximum values of the up-flowing electrons observed by all satellites to date. The electron is the main contributor for the field-aligned current in this event. The physical mechanism is also discussed. The down-flowing electron in the low-latitude boundary of the cusp region may result from solar wind injecting during the southward IMF, and the up-flowing electrons in the high-latitude boundary of cusp may result from mirroring of the solar wind, or from the ionospheric up-flowing electrons which have been accelerated.

Twisted shear Alfvén waves with orbital angular momentum

It is shown that a dispersive shear Alfvén wave (DSAW) in a magnetized plasma can propagate as a twisted Alfvén vortex beam carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). We obtain a wave equation from the generalized ion vorticity equation and the magnetic field-aligned electron momentum equation that couple the scalar and vector potentials of the DSAW. A twisted shear Alfvén vortex beam can trap and transport plasma particles and energy in magnetoplasmas, such as those in the Earthʼs auroral zone, in the solar atmosphere, and in Large Plasma Device (LAPD) at University of California, Los Angeles.

Energetic electrons along the high-latitude magnetopause

Abstract. A case study is presented to determine the source of the energetic electron layer frequently observed along the high-latitude magnetopause. Measurements by the Cluster spacecraft show bursts of field-aligned electrons occurring during time periods with high potential for dayside reconnection. These properties are compared with the expected signatures from several sources including escape from the exterior cusp, acceleration in a reconnection region, and release from the dayside trapping region through reconnection. The observed properties are most consistent with the electrons being released from the magnetosphere due to reconnection. In this model the electrons would flow along the newly reconnected IMF draped along the magnetopause and propagate along the high-latitude magnetopause. These observations demonstrate an active source for populating the energetic particle layer frequently observed along and just outside the high-latitude magnetopause.

Cluster observations of a transient signature in the magnetotail: implications for the mode of reconnection

Abstract. Travelling compression regions (TCRs) are perturbations in the magnetotail lobe magnetic field caused by structures moving Earthward or tailward within the plasma sheet. Previous works have suggested that these structures are created by either time-dependant reconnection occurring at a single X-line, forming a flux-bulge-type structure, or space-variant reconnection at multiple X-lines, forming flux-rope-type structures. In this study we examine an event in which Cluster 2 observed a TCR while the 3 remaining Cluster spacecraft observed the underlying magnetic structure at a range of distances from the neutral sheet. The magnetic structure has a velocity of (99, 154, −31) km s−1 in GSM (|V| = 186 km s−1), an estimated size of 1.19 RE along the direction of travel and a size between 1.94 and 2.86 RE in the direction perpendicular to the current sheet. As the structure passes the spacecraft, Cluster 1 and Cluster 4 observed a bipolar signature in BZ, plasma-sheet-like plasma and field-aligned electron flows. Cluster 3 passed closest to the centre of the structure and observed two separate reductions in the plasma density (with field-aligned electron flows); these drop-outs in the plasma sheet were possibly created by the actions of X-lines. The second drop-out in the plasma sheet also includes a reversal of the ion flow, a signature consistent with the passage of a reconnecting X-line past the spacecraft. Between the X-lines, the plasma outflow from the X-lines caused an increase in pressure which led to a localised expansion of the plasma and also the observations at Cluster 1 and Cluster 4 and the TCR. Our observations do not uniquely match either of the flux rope or the flux bulge predictions although the observation of two plasma sheet drop-outs (interpreted as X-lines, one active, one dormant) with plasma-sheet-like between them and only one TCR is a situation expected in multiple X-line reconnection.

Field-aligned beams and reconnection in the jovian magnetotail

The release of plasma in the jovian magnetotail is observed in the form of plasmoids, travelling compression regions, field-aligned particle beams and flux-rope like events. We demonstrate that electrons propagate along the magnetic field lines in the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL), while close to the current sheet center the electron distribution is isotropic. The evidences of the counterstreaming electron beams in the PSBLs are also presented. Most of the field-aligned energetic ion beams are associated with the field-aligned electron beams and about half of them have the bipolar fluctuation of the meridional magnetic field component. Moreover they often show a normal velocity dispersion for the different species which fits well in the scenario of particle propagation from a single source. All features above are observed during jovian reconfiguration events which are typically bonded with plasma flow reversals. From all these characteristics, which are based on energetic particle and magnetic field measurements, we believe that the reconfiguration processes in the jovian magnetotail are associated with reconnection.

Auroral electron distributions within and close to the Saturn kilometric radiation source region

On 17 October 2008, Cassini observed for the first time the electron populations associated with the crossing of a Saturn kilometric radiation source region and its surroundings. These observations allow for the first time the constraint and quantification of the high-latitude acceleration processes, the current systems, and the origin of the low-frequency electromagnetic waves. Enhanced fluxes of field-aligned energetic electrons were measured by the Cassini electron plasma spectrometer in conjunction with unusual intense field-aligned current systems identified using the magnetometer instrument. In the region where downward field-aligned currents were measured, electron data show evidence of two types of upward accelerated electron beams: a broadband energetic (1-100 keV) electron population that is observed throughout the region and a narrow-banded (0.1-1 keV) electron population that is observed sporadically. In the regions where the magnetic field signatures showed evidence for upward field-aligned currents, we observe electron loss cone distributions and some evidence of shell-like distributions. Such nonthermal electron populations are commonly known as a potential free energy source to drive plasma instabilities. In the downward current region, the low-energy and energetic beams are likely the source of the very low frequency emissions. In the upward current region, the shell distribution is identified as a potential source for Saturn kilometric radiation generation via the cyclotron maser instability.

Day-night asymmetries of low-energy electrons in Saturn's inner magnetosphere

[1] We examine the day-night asymmetry of near-equatorial low energy (12–100 eV) electron fluxes measured by Cassini from July 1, 2004 through April 1, 2010. This energy range is also known to be associated with interchange injections. The electrons are separated into field-aligned (0° to 20° and 160° to 180°) pitch angles and trapped (70° to 110°) pitch angles. There is a stronger day-night asymmetry for the trapped than the field-aligned electrons, but both show enhanced energy fluxes on the nightside relative to the dayside. The dayside electron fluxes decrease sharply at an L-shell of 8, while the nightside electrons exhibit a slow decline in to L = 5. Our finding, along with previous research of high energy electrons, shows that this asymmetry is energy independent. This suggests that interchange injections are stronger, and therefore penetrate deeper into the magnetosphere, on the nightside.

Energy source for auroral electrons from two proposed substorm onset processes

[1] There are two main processes in the tail that are proposed to link electron precipitation for the initial brightening auroral arc at substorm onset. These are current disruption/dipolarization (CDD) and magnetic reconnection (MR). To provide further clues in differentiating these two processes, we examine the electron energy spectrum and the associated total field-aligned energy flux during six CDD events and compare them with five MR events. Data from the Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers/Charge Composition Explorer (AMPTE/CCE), Geotail, and Time History of Events and Macroscale Ineractions during Substorms (THEMIS) missions are used in this study. It is found that (1) the total field-aligned electron energy flux from CDD sites is generally high enough to account for the energy flux required to produce bright auroral arcs at substorm onsets and (2) the total field-aligned electron energy flux from MR sites is generally a factor of one to two orders of magnitude lower than that from CDD sites. These results favor a direct link between the CDD sites and the substorm onset arcs, but they do not rule out further acceleration of auroral electrons away from these sites by other energy sources (e.g., field-aligned potential drops and kinetic Alfven waves) to produce even higher-intensity auroral arcs.

The auroral footprint of Enceladus on Saturn

Although there are substantial differences between the magnetospheres of Jupiter and Saturn, it has been suggested that cryovolcanic activity at Enceladus could lead to electrodynamic coupling between Enceladus and Saturn like that which links Jupiter with Io, Europa and Ganymede. Powerful field-aligned electron beams associated with the Io-Jupiter coupling, for example, create an auroral footprint in Jupiter's ionosphere. Auroral ultraviolet emission associated with Enceladus-Saturn coupling is anticipated to be just a few tenths of a kilorayleigh (ref. 12), about an order of magnitude dimmer than Io's footprint and below the observable threshold, consistent with its non-detection. Here we report the detection of magnetic-field-aligned ion and electron beams (offset several moon radii downstream from Enceladus) with sufficient power to stimulate detectable aurora, and the subsequent discovery of Enceladus-associated aurora in a few per cent of the scans of the moon's footprint. The footprint varies in emission magnitude more than can plausibly be explained by changes in magnetospheric parameters--and as such is probably indicative of variable plume activity.

Multispacecraft observations of a foreshock-induced magnetopause disturbance exhibiting distinct plasma flows and an intense density compression

[1] Large-scale magnetopause disturbances can result from several different types of events, including those resulting from phenomena in the foreshock region. In this observational report, we present multipoint THEMIS observations of a magnetopause disturbance along the dawnside, equatorial flank that exhibits distinct flows in the magnetospheric plasma and an abnormally strong compression of the plasma density within it, which peaks at >7X the density of the near-Earth solar wind. We find that the fastest ion and electron flows are related to two different processes, the ion flows resulting from plasma being displaced around the disturbance and field-aligned electron flows, possibly related to magnetic reconnection. Interestingly, the magnetospheric plasma flows around the disturbance are very similar to those previously reported around flux transfer events, but we conclude that the disturbance is most likely the result of regions of compressed and rarified plasma density in the sheath resulting from a foreshock cavity. We present simple schematics of this foreshock cavity and its leading-edge compression region that explain many of the observed features and discuss possibilities for the intense density enhancement. Using the simultaneous THEMIS observations from the magnetosphere, magnetosheath, and solar wind, we propose that the abnormal density enhancement was the result of a combination of compression effects due to the magnetosheath and the cavity's leading-edge compression region coupled with some complex interaction near the magnetopause along the event's distinct boundary layer.

Structure and kinetic properties of slow-mode shocks associated with magnetic reconnection in the near-Earth magnetotail

We study the structure and kinetic properties of slow-mode shocks near the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) associated with magnetic reconnection by Cluster observation. The presence of slow-mode shocks is confirmed by traditional Rankine–Hugoniot (RH) analysis and Monte-Carlo shock fitting method. The Walén analysis, applied to the tailward flow associated with slow-mode shocks, also supports that plasma was accelerated across a Petschek-type slow-mode shock connected to the diffusion region. Back-streaming ions were observed on the shock layer, and cold ions were accelerated and heated by slow-mode shocks. In addition, whistler and electrostatic solitary waves were observed around the slow-mode shocks. These waves might be excited by the observed field-aligned electron beams near the shocks.