Mirror Mode Structures Research Articles

Hybrid-Vlasov simulation of soft X-ray emissions at the Earth’s dayside magnetospheric boundaries

Solar wind charge exchange produces emissions in the soft X-ray energy range which can enable the study of near-Earth space regions such as the magnetopause, the magnetosheath and the polar cusps by remote sensing techniques. The Solar wind–Magnetosphere–Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) and Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) missions aim to obtain soft X-ray images of near-Earth space thanks to their Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) instruments. While earlier modeling works have already simulated soft X-ray images as might be obtained by SMILE SXI during its mission, the numerical models used so far are all based on the magnetohydrodynamics description of the space plasma.To investigate the possible signatures of ion-kinetic-scale processes in soft X-ray images,we use for the first time a global hybrid-Vlasov simulation of the geospace from the Vlasiator model. The simulation is driven by fast and tenuous solar wind conditions and purely southward interplanetary magnetic field. We first produce global X-ray images of the dayside near-Earth space by placing a virtual imaging satellite at two different locations,providing meridional and equatorial views. We then analyze regional features present in the images and show that they correspond to signatures in soft X-ray emissions of mirror mode wave structures in the magnetosheath and flux transfer events (FTEs) at the magnetopause. Our results suggest that, although the time scales associated with the motion of those transient phenomena will likely be significantly smaller than the integration time of the SMILE and LEXI imagers, mirror-mode structures and FTEs can cumulatively produce detectable signatures in the soft X-ray images. For instance, a local increase by 30% in the proton density at the dayside magnetopause resulting from the transit of multiple FTEs leads to a 12% enhancement in the line-of-sight- and timeintegrated soft X-ray emissivity originating from this region. Likewise, a proton density increase by 14% in the magnetosheath associated with mirror-mode structures can result in an enhancement in the soft X-ray signal by 4%. These are likely conservative estimates, given that the solar wind conditions used in the Vlasiator run can be expected to generate weaker soft X-ray emissions than the more common denser solar wind. These results will contribute to the preparatory work for the SMILE and LEXI missions by providing the community with quantitative estimates of the effects of small-scale, transient phenomena occurring on the dayside.

Observation of Whistler Mode Waves Inside Mirror Mode Structures in the Earth's Outer Magnetosphere

AbstractWhistler mode waves are commonly observed inside mirror mode structures (MM‐Ss) in the magnetosheath. Although MM‐Ss have also been detected in the magnetosphere, there is no statistical study investigating the properties of whistler mode waves inside MM‐Ss. Using Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) satellites, our present study identifies and statistically analyzes whistler mode waves detected inside MM‐Ss in the Earth's magnetosphere. Both the observational evidence (bidirectional propagation) and theoretical analyses suggest that whistler mode waves are excited in the low‐magnetic‐field regions of MM‐Ss. Statistical results indicate that whistler mode waves are frequently observed inside the MM‐Ss in the dusk sector. Most of these waves (>70%) are in the frequency range of 0.1–0.4 fce and have amplitudes less than ∼50 pT. Moreover, most of them are observed to propagate in the direction both parallel and antiparallel to the background magnetic field, and their wave normal angles are typically less than ∼40°. Our study analyzes the properties and generation of whistler mode waves inside MM‐Ss and reveals that MM‐Ss are a possible source region in the Earth's magnetosphere. Therefore, our study provides new insight into the properties of whistler mode waves inside MM‐Ss which are pervasive in space plasmas.

Observations of Locally Generated Whistler-mode Waves in the Martian Magnetotail Current Sheet

The whistler-mode wave is an electromagnetic wave that commonly occurs in space plasma and has been extensively studied, especially within the Earth's magnetosphere. They have also been reported in the near-Mars space, such as Martian upstream solar wind, crustal magnetic field, ionopause, and the magnetic reconnection ion diffusion region. However, the generation of whistler-mode waves in the Martian magnetotail current sheet is still unclear. Based on observations made by Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft, we report whistler-mode waves observed within a train of proton-scale magnetic dips during a Martian magnetotail current sheet crossing. The linear growth rate analyses demonstrate that the whistler-mode waves are locally generated within the magnetic dips. Unlike in Earth's plasma environment, the train of magnetic dips in the Martian plasma sheet is attributed to electron mirror-mode instability. Our finding suggests that the mirror-mode structure in the Martian magnetotail can be an important source region for generating whistler-mode waves. This provides a new insight into how whistler-mode waves are generated in unmagnetized planets.

Two types of mirror mode waves in the Kronian magnetosheath

A mirror mode wave is a fundamental magnetic structure in the planetary space environment that is persistently compressed by solar wind, especially in the magnetosheath. Mirror modes have been widely identified in the magnetosheaths of the Earth and other planets in the solar system, yet the understanding of mirror mode waves on extraterrestrial planets is not as comprehensive as that on the Earth. Using magnetic field data collected by the Cassini spacecraft, we found peak and dip types according to the magnetic morphology (i.e., structures with higher or lower magnetic strengths than the background field). Moreover, mirror mode waves and electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves were found one after the other, implying that the two wave modes may evolve into one another in the Kronian magnetosheath. The results indicate that many fundamental plasma processes associated with the mirror mode structure exist in the Kronian magnetosheath. The energy conversion in Saturn’s magnetosheath may provide key insights that will aid in understanding giant planetary magnetospheric processes.

First Observation of Electron Cyclotron Harmonic Waves Inside Mirror Mode Structures in the Earth's Outer Magnetosphere

AbstractElectron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves are one of the most common plasma waves in the Earth's magnetosphere, and they are considered to be excited by the electron loss‐cone distributions near the magnetic equator. Using the Magnetospheric Multiscale data, we report an unusual event of ECH waves at L = ∼12.4 and MLT = ∼16.0 hr, where the ECH waves are locally excited inside non‐propagating magnetic oscillations, that is, mirror mode structures. The observation reveals that the mirror mode structures are generated by anisotropic ions ( ∼ 1.3 – 1.7), and electron mirror loss‐cone distributions are formed due to the magnetic configuration of the mirror mode structures. Combing with the linear instability analysis, we confirm that the ECH waves are locally excited by the electron mirror loss‐cone distributions inside the mirror mode structures. Therefore, we propose that the mirror mode structures provide another potential source region for ECH waves in the Earth's magnetosphere.

A New Method of Fluxgate Magnetometer Offset Vector Determination in the Solar Wind Using Any Magnetic Field Variations

In-depth study of dynamic processes in the astrophysical plasma environment relies on high-precision measurement of the magnetic field. Fluxgate magnetometers (FGMs) are commonly used on spacecraft to measure the magnetic field. However, their zero offsets vary slowly with time, and therefore need regularly in-flight calibration. Traditional methods of calculating the zero offset are based on properties of Alfvén waves, mirror mode structures, or current sheets. Here, we develop a new method of calculating the zero offset using any interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) variations. We create an offset cube according to the possible range of the IMF strength. The average values of B L for the IMF variation events approximately obey the normal distribution if there are enough events, where B L is the magnetic field in the maximum variance direction. Any constant vector added to the natural magnetic field data of the events will make the standard deviation of the normal distribution larger. Thereby, the point is determined to be the zero offset so that the corresponding standard deviation at this point is the minimum in the offset cube. Our test results show that this method has a 95.5% probability of obtaining the zero offset with an error of less than 0.3 nT when 10–21 hr of data are used. Our method provides an option for the in-flight calibration of the spaceborne FGM in the solar wind when there are not enough Alfvén waves, mirror modes, or current sheets.

Observations of Whistler-mode Waves and Large-amplitude Electrostatic Waves Associated with a Dipolarization Front in the Bursty Bulk Flow

Plasma jets and jet fronts are common phenomena in planetary magnetospheres. They are usually associated with many plasma waves and can play a key role in the energy conversion, the excitation of wave emissions, particle acceleration, and the evolution of many astrophysical phenomena, which are major issues in the study of helio-terrestrial space physics. In this paper, we carefully investigated the properties of the whistler-mode wave and large-amplitude electrostatic wave in a plasma jet (bursty bulk flow (BBF)) using the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission data on the Earth's magnetosphere. At the leading part of the BBF, intense whistler-mode waves were observed inside the ion mirror-mode structures, which should be excited by the perpendicular temperature anisotropy of trapping electrons. A small-scale dipolarization front (DF) was then observed at the center of this BBF as a boundary between the leading and trailing parts of the BBF. Behind the DF, both an ion mirror-mode structure and whistler-mode waves disappear, while a large-amplitude electrostatic wave was detected and was associated with the cold ions at the trailing part of the BBF. The electrostatic wave is supposed to be generated by ion beam instability. These results will significantly improve the understanding of the kinetic process associated with the important boundary layer DF within plasma jets. The corresponding wave–particle interaction in space and the plasma environment can be further understood.

Statistical Analysis of the Distribution and Evolution of Mirror Structures in the Martian Magnetosheath

The mirror-mode structures in the Martian magnetosheath that were observed by Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution during 2015–2018 are analyzed statistically. It is found that most mirror-mode events occurred close to the bow shock. Morphological categorization based on skewness of the magnetic field shows that ∼46.57% of the observed mirror-mode events are peak-like, ∼40.25% are wave-like, and ∼13.18% are dip-like. The mirror-mode structures mostly saturate in a very short time after their formation near the bow shock, which is a result of the high temperature anisotropy and high plasma beta at this location. Carried downstream by the magnetosheath flow, the mirror-mode structures remain in nonlinear saturation states. Meanwhile, the dayside magnetosheath plasma largely deviates from marginal stability, which is a state commonly that is expected in the terrestrial magnetosheath. By flowline tracing in an MHD model, it is found the mirror structures can be divided into two groups: ∼80% of the events that are observed near the bow shock evolve less than 10 s in plasma with high temperature anisotropy and high plasma beta value, keeping in saturated states; the other 20% of the events evolve following a similar process to that at the Earth, undergoing morphology transition in response to the local plasma conditions. However, the dayside magnetosheath is largely in an unstable condition, which prevents the mirror-mode structures from fully evolving into the decaying phase. Our results suggest that energy dispassion through wave-particle interaction might not be sufficient to remove the free energy that is introduced by the solar wind–Mars interaction.

High-precision Calibration of the Fluxgate Magnetometer Offset Vector in the Terrestrial Magnetosheath

High-precision magnetic field measurements are of great significance for the in-depth study of the physical processes in the astrophysical plasma environment. To obtain accurate natural magnetic fields, in-flight calibration is one key step to obtaining zero offset of the spaceborne fluxgate magnetometer (FGM). Mirror mode structures, widely existing in the solar wind and planetary magnetosheaths and magnetospheres, can be used to calculate the zero offset. However, it is difficult to obtain an accurate zero offset by the current methods using mirror mode structures in the planetary magnetosheath. Here, we develop a new method to calculate the zero offset of the spaceborne FGM using magnetic dips, which are a kind of mirror mode structure. This method is based on the assumption that the magnetic field is zero in the cross section of the magnetic dip. Our method is able to calculate the zero offset using only one magnetic dip. We test this method by using the data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission, and find that the calculation errors of 78.1% of the estimated zero offsets are <0.5 nT when using 25 magnetic dips in the terrestrial magnetosheath. This suggests that our method is able to achieve a high accuracy of the zero offset in the planetary magnetosheath.

Fluxgate Magnetometer Offset Vector Determination Using Current Sheets in the Solar Wind

Abstract The zero offset of the fluxgate magnetometer (FGM) on board the spacecraft varies slowly with time, therefore the FGM needs regular in-flight calibration. There are abundant physical phenomena in the solar wind, such as waves, mirror mode structures, and current sheets. Several in-flight calibration methods have been developed based on the properties of Alfvén waves or mirror mode structures instead of current sheets. Here, we develop a method to determine the zero offset O using current sheets in the solar wind, which is based on an assumption that the magnetic field in the normal direction of the current sheet is zero. The nonzero magnetic field in the normal direction is the projection of O , therefore we can obtain the component of O in the normal direction. In the offset cube, the zero offset is expected to be in a plane, which is referred to as the optimal offset plane (OOP). Each current sheet can obtain an OOP in the offset cube. At least three nonparallel OOPs must be used to determine the zero offset. We test our method by using data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission and find that our method is able to determine the zero offset. Our method can simultaneously use Alfvén waves, mirror mode structures, and current sheets to determine the zero offset, thus it might be a useful tool to perform the in-flight calibration of the FGM for solar wind monitors.

Making Waves: Mirror Mode Structures Around Mars Observed by the MAVEN Spacecraft.

We present an in‐depth analysis of a time interval when quasi‐linear mirror mode structures were detected by magnetic field and plasma measurements as observed by the NASA/Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft. We employ ion and electron spectrometers in tandem to support the magnetic field measurements and confirm that the signatures are indeed mirror modes. Wedged against the magnetic pile‐up boundary, the low‐frequency signatures last on average ∼10 s with corresponding sizes of the order of 15–30 upstream solar wind proton thermal gyroradii, or 10–20 proton gyroradii in the immediate wake of the quasi‐perpendicular bow shock. Their peak‐to‐peak amplitudes are of the order of 30–35 nT with respect to the background field, and appear as a mixture of dips and peaks, suggesting that they may have been at different stages in their evolution. Situated in a marginally stable plasma with β ‖ ∼ 1, we hypothesize that these so‐called magnetic bottles, containing a relatively higher energy and denser ion population with respect to the background plasma, are formed upstream of the spacecraft behind the quasi‐perpendicular shock. These signatures are very reminiscent of magnetic bottles found at other unmagnetized objects such as Venus and comets, also interpreted as mirror modes. Our case study constitutes the first unmistakable identification and characterization of mirror modes at Mars from the joint points of view of magnetic field, electron and ion measurements. Up until now, the lack of high‐temporal resolution plasma measurements has prevented such an in‐depth study.

Solar Orbiter’s first Venus flyby

Context. The induced magnetosphere of Venus is caused by the interaction of the solar wind and embedded interplanetary magnetic field with the exosphere and ionosphere of Venus. Solar Orbiter entered Venus’s magnetotail far downstream, &gt; 70 Venus radii, of the planet and exited the magnetosphere over the north pole. This offered a unique view of the system over distances that had only been flown through before by three other missions, Mariner 10, Galileo, and BepiColombo. Aims. In this study, we study the large-scale structure and activity of the induced magnetosphere as well as the high-frequency plasma waves both in the magnetosphere and in a limited region upstream of the planet where interaction with Venus’s exosphere is expected. Methods. The large-scale structure of the magnetosphere was studied with low-pass filtered data and identified events are investigated with a minimum variance analysis as well as combined with plasma data. The high-frequency plasma waves were studied with spectral analysis. Results. We find that Venus’s magnetotail is very active during the Solar Orbiter flyby. Structures such as flux ropes and reconnection sites were encountered, in addition to a strong overdraping of the magnetic field downstream of the bow shock and planet. High-frequency plasma waves (up to six times the local proton cyclotron frequency) are observed in the magnetotail, which are identified as Doppler-shifted proton cyclotron waves, whereas in the upstream solar wind, these waves appear just below the proton cyclotron frequency (as expected) but are very patchy. The bow shock is quasi-perpendicular, however, expected mirror mode activity is not found directly behind it; instead, there is strong cyclotron wave power. This is most likely caused by the relatively low plasma-β behind the bow shock. Much further downstream, magnetic hole or mirror mode structures are identified in the magnetosheath.

A New Method to Calculate the Fluxgate Magnetometer Offset in the Interplanetary Magnetic Field: 2. Using Mirror Mode Structures

AbstractAccurate magnetic field measurement is of great significance to the development of space exploration. The fluxgate magnetometer (FGM) is a magnetic field measuring instrument commonly used on the spacecraft. The zero offset of the spaceborne FGM varies slowly with time, thus it needs to be regularly calibrated. Here, we develop a new method to determine the zero offset of the FGM using mirror mode structures. This method is based on an assumption that the magnetic depression of mirror mode structures is only in the maximum variance direction. We find that each mirror mode structure has an optimal offset line (OOL), which is determined by the minimum strength of the modified magnetic field in the plane perpendicular to the maximum variance direction in an offset cube. The OOL is approximately parallel to the maximum variance direction and passes through the zero offset in the offset cube. The common intersection of at least two non‐parallel OOLs can be regarded as the zero offset, which accuracy tends to be higher with more events. Our method can simultaneously use the mirror modes and Alfvén waves, and is able to be applied to many regions, such as solar wind, planetary magnetosheaths and magnetospheres.

Magnetospheric Multiscale Observations of the Source Region of Energetic Electron Microinjections Along the Duskside, High‐Latitude Magnetopause Boundary Layer

AbstractThe present paper demonstrates the first observations by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission of the counter‐streaming energetic electrons and trapped energetic protons, localized in the magnetic field depressions between the mirror mode peaks, in the Earth's dusk sector high‐latitude magnetosphere. This region is characterized by high plasma beta, strong ion temperature anisotropy, and intermediate plasma density between magnetospheric and magnetosheath plasma. We show that these plasma conditions are unstable for the drift mirror instability. The counter‐streaming electron feature resembles those of the previously reported energetic electron microinjections, but without the energy‐time dispersion signature. This suggests that MMS is passing through one of the potential microinjection source regions. The energetic ion data in the present study is mainly used to estimate the scale size of the mirror mode structures.

Magnetic Holes in the Solar Wind and Magnetosheath Near Mercury

AbstractWe present a comprehensive statistical study of magnetic holes, defined as localized decreases of the magnetic field strength of at least 50%, in the solar wind near Mercury, using MESSENGER orbital data. We investigate the distributions of several properties of the magnetic holes, such as scale size, depth, and associated magnetic field rotation. We show that the distributions are very similar for linear magnetic holes (with a magnetic field rotation across the magnetic holes of less than 25°) and rotational holes (rotations &gt;25°), except for magnetic holes with very large rotations (≳140°). Solar wind magnetic hole scale sizes follow a log‐normal distribution, which we discuss in terms of multiplicative growth. We also investigate the background magnetic field strength of the solar wind surrounding the magnetic holes, and conclude that it is lower than the average solar wind magnetic field strength. This is consistent with finding solar wind magnetic holes in high‐β regions, as expected if magnetic holes have a connection to magnetic mirror mode structures. We also present, for the first time, comprehensive statistics of isolated magnetic holes in a planetary magnetosheath. The properties of the magnetosheath magnetic holes are very similar to the solar wind counterparts, and we argue that the most likely interpretation is that the magnetosheath magnetic holes have a solar wind origin, rather than being generated locally in the magnetosheath.

First Observations of an Ion Vortex in a Magnetic Hole in the Solar Wind by MMS

Abstract The coronal heating region is able to generate mirror mode structures by ion mirror instabilities. Linear magnetic holes are believed to be the remnants of mirror mode structures, thus they are believed to be messengers from the coronal heating region. They can be convected to ∼9 au with the solar wind flow, indicating that a stabilizing mechanism is necessary to make the magnetic holes survive for such a long time. Here, we investigate a magnetic hole with a size of ∼6.7 ρ i in the solar wind based on observations by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. The unprecedented high-resolution data enable us to reveal the existence of the ion vortex inside the structure for the first time. Such an ion vortex forms a ring-like current, which is consistent with the magnetic field depression. The self-consistent structure of the magnetic hole contributed by the ion vortex can help to further shed light on the mechanism of the long-term survival of magnetic holes in the astrophysical plasma.

Observations of Mirror Mode Structures in the Dawn‐Side Magnetosphere

AbstractWe present observations of mirror mode structures in the dawn‐side magnetosphere from the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission. The observations were made during a period of relatively stable northward interplanetary magnetic field conditions. We observed magnetic troughs only with reductions of up to 90% in the magnitude of the local magnetic field. The structures were closely aligned with the local magnetic field and had sizes perpendicular to the magnetic field of the order of 1Re and ion densities up to twice that of the surrounding regions. We used ion, magnetic field, and electric field data to examine the plasma conditions inside and outside of these structures to investigate the stability and evolution of the structures and estimate the magnitude of changes in the ion distributions. Comparing the ion bulk properties to theoretical predictions, we concluded that variations in the parameters with trough depth were due to the spacecraft traversing them at different locations along their length. Our calculations of heating and cooling of the ions at different pitch angles is consistent with theory. We conclude that these troughs were likely long‐lived, bistable structures that originated in the magnetosheath near the nose of the magnetopause and were captured into the magnetosphere by dual‐lobe reconnection.

Mirror Mode Waves Immersed in Magnetic Reconnection

Abstract Mirror mode waves with anticorrelated density and magnetic field are widely observed in the heliosphere. This paper presents the first evidence of mirror mode waves occurring in the vicinity of a magnetic reconnection site (X-line) at the interface between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere based on the analyses of two Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) crossing events along with the Grad–Shafranov (GS) reconstruction model with temperature anisotropy. The GS scheme solves the steady two-dimensional MHD equations in the frame of references moving with the plasma by using the spacecraft measurements. Both events have mirror type of pressure anisotropy and correspond, respectively, to the symmetric and asymmetric Harris type current sheets with the total thermal and magnetic field pressures being approximately constant. The GS reconstruction results show the magnetic reconnection with X line geometry associated with the mirror mode structures on the spatial lengths of 170 ∼ 370 km or 1.3 ∼ 3 ion gyroradius. The coexistence of mirror waves and magnetic reconnection provides the first observational evidence for the prior theoretical prediction of mixed tearing and mirror instabilities in plasma current sheets with temperature anisotropy.

Observations of the Source Region of Whistler Mode Waves in Magnetosheath Mirror Structures

AbstractIn the magnetosheath, intense whistler mode waves, called “Lion roars,” are often detected in troughs of magnetic field intensity in mirror mode structures. Using data obtained by the four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft, we show that reversals of gradient of magnetic field intensity along the magnetic field correspond to reversals of the field‐aligned component of Poynting flux of whistler mode waves in the troughs. Such a characteristic is consistent with the idea that the whistler mode waves are effectively generated near the local minima of magnetic field intensity because of the smallest cyclotron resonance velocity and propagate toward regions of larger magnetic field intensity along the magnetic field lines on both sides. We use the reversal of the Poynting flux as an indicator of wave source regions. In these regions, we find that pancake or an outer edge of butterfly electron distributions above ~100 eV are good candidates for wave generation. Unclear correlations of phase difference and amplitude variations of whistler mode waves in cases of ~40 km spacecraft separation indicate that a simple plane wave approximation with a constant amplitude is not valid at this spatial scale that is much smaller than the ion gyroradius. The whistler mode waves consist of small coherent wave packets from multiple sources with spatial scales smaller than tens of electron gyroradii transverse to the background magnetic field in a mirror mode structure.

Roles of electrons and ions in formation of the current in mirror-mode structures in the terrestrial plasma sheet: Magnetospheric Multiscale observations

Abstract. Mirror-mode structures widely exist in various space plasma environments. Here, we investigate a train of mirror-mode structures in the terrestrial plasma sheet on 11 August 2017 based on the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. We find that bipolar current densities exist in the cross section of two hole-like mirror-mode structures, referred to as magnetic dips. The bipolar current density in the magnetic dip with a size of ∼2.2 ρi (the ion gyro radius) is mainly contributed by variations of the electron velocity, which is mainly formed by the magnetic gradient–curvature drift. For another magnetic dip with a size of ∼6.6 ρi, the bipolar current density is mainly caused by an ion bipolar velocity, which can be explained by the collective behaviors of the ion drift motions. The current density inside the mirror dip contributes to the maintenance of the hole-like structure's stable. Our observations suggest that the electrons and ions play different roles in the formation of currents in magnetic dips with different sizes.