Multi-spacecraft Observations Research Articles

Multi-spacecraft Observations of the Coronal and Interplanetary Evolution of a Solar Eruption Associated with Two Active Regions

Abstract We investigate the coronal and interplanetary evolution of a coronal mass ejection (CME) launched on 2010 September 4 from a source region linking two active regions (ARs), 11101 and 11103, using extreme ultraviolet imaging, magnetogram, white-light, and in situ observations from SDO, STEREO, SOHO, VEX, and Wind. A potential-field source-surface model is employed to examine the configuration of the coronal magnetic field surrounding the source region. The graduated cylindrical shell model and a triangulation method are applied to determine the kinematics of the CME in the corona and interplanetary space. From the remote sensing and in situ observations, we obtain some key results: (1) the CME was deflected in both the eastward and southward directions in the low corona by the magnetic pressure from the two ARs, and possibly interacted with another ejection, which caused that the CME arrived at VEX that was longitudinally distant from the source region; (2) although VEX was closer to the Sun, the observed and derived CME arrival times at VEX are not earlier than those at Wind, which suggests the importance of determining both the frontal shape and propagation direction of the CME in interplanetary space; and (3) the ICME was compressed in the radial direction while the longitudinal transverse size was extended.

Observations of a Coronal Shock Wave and the Production of Solar Energetic Particles

Abstract We present a study that clarifies the acceleration source/mechanism of the solar energetic particle (SEP) event on 2011 August 9. Based on the assumption of scatter-free propagation of charged particles along the interplanetary magnetic field, the solar particle release times of the electrons and protons are derived and both found to be in the decay phase of the flare emission. Furthermore, we compare the peak-flux spectra of the in situ particles and the remote-sensing hard X-ray photons and find a weak correlation between them. In particular, we note that an extreme ultraviolet shock wave, presumed to be a signature of coronal mass ejection (CME) shock front on the solar surface, and an associated type II radio burst were observed alongside this event. Under the framework of diffusive shock acceleration, the derived shock compression ratio can accelerate particles with a theoretical spectral index , which is comparable to the observational index of ∼2.0. Our results appear to support the notion that the coronal shock wave was most likely responsible for the SEP event. Specifically, we find that the electrons were released in a low coronal site at ∼0.58 solar radii, and protons were released when the CME-driven shock propagated to ∼1.38 solar radii. The multi-spacecraft observations, in addition, reveal the connection between the acceleration of shock waves and the release of SEPs.

Identifying intervals of temporally invariant field‐aligned currents from Swarm: Assessing the validity of single‐spacecraft methods

AbstractField‐aligned currents (FACs) are a fundamental component of coupled solar wind‐magnetosphere‐ionosphere. By assuming that FACs can be approximated by stationary infinite current sheets that do not change on the spacecraft crossing time, single‐spacecraft magnetic field measurements can be used to estimate the currents flowing in space. By combining data from multiple spacecraft on similar orbits, these stationarity assumptions can be tested. In this technical report, we present a new technique that combines cross correlation and linear fitting of multiple spacecraft measurements to determine the reliability of the FAC estimates. We show that this technique can identify those intervals in which the currents estimated from single‐spacecraft techniques are both well correlated and have similar amplitudes, thus meeting the spatial and temporal stationarity requirements. Using data from European Space Agency's Swarm mission from 2014 to 2015, we show that larger‐scale currents (>450 km) are well correlated and have a one‐to‐one fit up to 50% of the time, whereas small‐scale (<50 km) currents show similar amplitudes only ~1% of the time despite there being a good correlation 18% of the time. It is thus imperative to examine both the correlation and amplitude of the calculated FACs in order to assess both the validity of the underlying assumptions and hence ultimately the reliability of such single‐spacecraft FAC estimates.

Energy conversion at dipolarization fronts

AbstractWe use multispacecraft observations by Cluster in the Earth's magnetotail and 3‐D particle‐in‐cell simulations to investigate conversion of electromagnetic energy at the front of a fast plasma jet. We find that the major energy conversion is happening in the Earth (laboratory) frame, where the electromagnetic energy is being transferred from the electromagnetic field to particles. This process operates in a region with size of the order several ion inertial lengths across the jet front, and the primary contribution to E·j is coming from the motional electric field and the ion current. In the frame of the front we find fluctuating energy conversion with localized loads and generators at sub‐ion scales which are primarily related to the lower hybrid drift instability excited at the front; however, these provide relatively small net energy conversion.

Dayside magnetospheric and ionospheric responses to solar wind pressure increase: Multispacecraft and ground observations

AbstractWe provide in situ observations of the transient phenomena in the dayside magnetosphere during the preliminary impulse (PI) and main impulse (MI) event on 30 September 2008. The PI and MI geomagnetic signals are induced by twin traveling convection vortices with opposite polarities in the equivalent ionospheric currents due to a sudden increase of the solar wind dynamic pressure. The two PI‐associated ionospheric current vortices centered at ~07 magnetic local time (MLT), 67° magnetic latitude (MLAT) in the dawnside and ~14 MLT, 73°MLAT in the duskside, respectively. The dawnside MI current vortex centered at ~68° MLAT and 6 MLT, while the duskside vortex center was traveling poleward from ~67° MLAT to ~75° MLAT at a speed of ~5.6–7.4 km/s around 14 MLT. It is found that both dawnside PI‐ and MI‐related current vortices were azimuthally seen up to 4 MLT. Following the magnetosphere sudden impulse, a clockwise flow vortex with a radial scale larger than 3 RE, associated with positive field‐aligned current (FAC), was observed by Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) spacecraft in the outer dayside magnetosphere. The flow vortex expanded and traveled tailward in the magnetosphere, also being reproduced with global MHD simulations. Based on both observation and simulation technique, we show that the MI‐related FACs are correlated with the large‐scale flow vortex. The PI FACs are partially provided by the mode conversion of fast mode waves into the Alfvén waves near the equatorial plane, while most of it may be generated at a higher‐latitude region in the magnetosphere.

Non-Maxwellian electron distribution functions due to self-generated turbulence in collisionless guide-field reconnection

Non-Maxwellian electron velocity space distribution functions (EVDFs) are useful signatures of plasma conditions and non-local consequences of collisionless magnetic reconnection. In the past, EVDFs were obtained mainly for antiparallel reconnection and under the influence of weak guide-fields in the direction perpendicular to the reconnection plane. EVDFs are, however, not well known, yet, for oblique (or component-) reconnection in case and in dependence on stronger guide-magnetic fields and for the exhaust (outflow) region of reconnection away from the diffusion region. In view of the multi-spacecraft Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS), we derived the non-Maxwellian EVDFs of collisionless magnetic reconnection in dependence on the guide-field strength bg from small (bg≈0) to very strong (bg = 8) guide-fields, taking into account the feedback of the self-generated turbulence. For this sake, we carried out 2.5D fully kinetic Particle-in-Cell simulations using the ACRONYM code. We obtained anisotropic EVDFs and electron beams propagating along the separatrices as well as in the exhaust region of reconnection. The beams are anisotropic with a higher temperature in the direction perpendicular rather than parallel to the local magnetic field. The beams propagate in the direction opposite to the background electrons and cause instabilities. We also obtained the guide-field dependence of the relative electron-beam drift speed, threshold, and properties of the resulting streaming instabilities including the strongly non-linear saturation of the self-generated plasma turbulence. This turbulence and its non-linear feedback cause non-adiabatic parallel electron acceleration. We further obtained the resulting EVDFs due to the non-linear feedback of the saturated self-generated turbulence near the separatrices and in the exhaust region of reconnection in dependence on the guide field strength. We found that the influence of the self-generated plasma turbulence leads well beyond the limits of the quasi-linear approximation to the creation of phase space holes and an isotropizing pitch-angle scattering. EVDFs obtained by this way can be used for diagnosing collisionless reconnection by using the multi-spacecraft observations carried out by the MMS mission.

SUN-TO-EARTH CHARACTERISTICS OF THE 2012 JULY 12 CORONAL MASS EJECTION AND ASSOCIATED GEO-EFFECTIVENESS

ABSTRACT We analyze multi-spacecraft observations associated with the 2012 July 12 coronal mass ejection (CME), covering the source region on the Sun from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, stereoscopic imaging observations from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), magnetic field characteristics from Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER), and type II radio burst and in situ measurements from Wind. A triangulation method based on STEREO stereoscopic observations is employed to determine the kinematics of the CME, and the outcome is compared with the results derived from the type II radio burst using a solar wind electron density model. A Grad–Shafranov technique is applied to Wind in situ data to reconstruct the flux-rope structure and compare it with the observations of the solar source region, which helps in understanding the geo-effectiveness associated with the CME structure. Our conclusions are as follows: (1) the CME undergoes an impulsive acceleration, a rapid deceleration before reaching MESSENGER, and then a gradual deceleration out to 1 au, which should be considered in CME kinematics models; (2) the type II radio burst was probably produced from a high-density interaction region between the CME-driven shock and a nearby streamer or from the shock flank with lower heights, which implies uncertainties in the determination of CME kinematics using solely type II radio bursts; (3) the flux-rope orientation and chirality deduced from in situ reconstructions at Wind agree with those obtained from solar source observations; (4) the prolonged southward magnetic field near the Earth is mainly from the axial component of the largely southward inclined flux rope, which indicates the importance of predicting both the flux-rope orientation and magnetic field components in geomagnetic activity forecasting.

Unexpected spatial intensity distributions and onset timing of solar electron events observed by closely spaced STEREO spacecraft

We present multi-spacecraft observations of four solar electron events using measurements from the Solar Electron Proton Telescope (SEPT) and the Electron Proton Helium INstrument (EPHIN) on board the STEREO and SOHO spacecraft, respectively, occurring between 11 October 2013 and 1 August 2014, during the approaching superior conjunction period of the two STEREO spacecraft. At this time the longitudinal separation angle between STEREO-A (STA) and STEREO-B (STB) was less than 72°. The parent particle sources (flares) of the four investigated events were situated close to, in between, or to the west of the STEREO’s magnetic footpoints. The STEREO measurements revealed a strong difference in electron peak intensities (factor ≤12) showing unexpected intensity distributions at 1 AU, although the two spacecraft had nominally nearly the same angular magnetic footpoint separation from the flaring active region (AR) or their magnetic footpoints were both situated eastwards from the parent particle source. Furthermore, the events detected by the two STEREO imply a strongly unexpected onset timing with respect to each other: the spacecraft magnetically best connected to the flare detected a later arrival of electrons than the other one. This leads us to suggest the concept of a rippled peak intensity distribution at 1 AU formed by narrow peaks (fingers) superposed on a quasi-uniform Gaussian distribution. Additionally, two of the four investigated solar energetic particle (SEP) events show a so-called circumsolar distribution and their characteristics make it plausible to suggest a two-component particle injection scenario forming an unusual, non-uniform intensity distribution at 1 AU.

Multispacecraft observations and modeling of the 22/23 June 2015 geomagnetic storm

AbstractThe magnetic storm of 22–23 June 2015 was one of the largest in the current solar cycle. We present in situ observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) and the Van Allen Probes (VAP) in the magnetotail, field‐aligned currents from AMPERE (Active Magnetosphere and Planetary Electrodynamics Response), and ionospheric flow data from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). Our real‐time space weather alert system sent out a “red alert,” correctly predicting Kp indices greater than 8. We show strong outflow of ionospheric oxygen, dipolarizations in the MMS magnetometer data, and dropouts in the particle fluxes seen by the MMS Fast Plasma Instrument suite. At ionospheric altitudes, the AMPERE data show highly variable currents exceeding 20 MA. We present numerical simulations with the Block Adaptive Tree‐Solarwind ‐ Roe ‐ Upwind Scheme (BATS‐R‐US) global magnetohydrodynamic model linked with the Rice Convection Model. The model predicted the magnitude of the dipolarizations, and varying polar cap convection patterns, which were confirmed by DMSP measurements.

SAPS onset timing during substorms and the westward traveling surge

AbstractWe present multispacecraft observations in the magnetosphere and conjugate ionosphere of the onset time of subauroral polarization streams (SAPS) and tens of keV ring current injections on the duskside in three individual substorms. This is probably the first unequivocal determination of the substorm SAPS onset timing. The time lag between the SAPS and substorm onsets is much shorter than the gradient‐curvature drift time of ∼10 keV ions in the plasmasphere. It seemingly depends on the propagation time of substorm‐injected plasma from the dipolarization onset region to the plasmasphere, as well as on the SAPS position. These observations suggest that fast onset SAPS and ring current injections are causally related to the two‐loop system of the westward traveling surge.

A comparative study of dipolarization fronts at MMS and Cluster.

We present a statistical study of dipolarization fronts (DFs), using magnetic field data from MMS and Cluster, at radial distances below 12 R E and 20 R E, respectively. Assuming that the DFs have a semicircular cross section and are propelled by the magnetic tension force, we used multispacecraft observations to determine the DF velocities. About three quarters of the DFs propagate earthward and about one quarter tailward. Generally, MMS is in a more dipolar magnetic field region and observes larger‐amplitude DFs than Cluster. The major findings obtained in this study are as follows: (1) At MMS ∼57 % of the DFs move faster than 150 km/s, while at Cluster only ∼35 %, indicating a variable flux transport rate inside the flow‐braking region. (2) Larger DF velocities correspond to higher B z values directly ahead of the DFs. We interpret this as a snow plow‐like phenomenon, resulting from a higher magnetic flux pileup ahead of DFs with higher velocities.

Observational Test for a Random Sweeping Model in Solar Wind Turbulence.

Evidence of frequency broadening at ion kinetic scales due to large-scale eddies and waves is found in solar wind turbulence by a test for a random sweeping model using the magnetic energy spectrum in the frequency vs wave number domain in the comoving frame of the flow obtained from multispacecraft observations. The statistical analysis of the frequency vs wave number spectra without using Taylor's hypothesis shows Gaussian frequency broadening around nearly zero frequencies that increases for larger wave numbers and non-Gaussian tails at higher frequencies. Comparison of the observed frequency broadening with a random sweeping model derived from hydrodynamic turbulence reveals similarities with respect to the Gaussian shape. The standard deviation of the broadening scales with ∼k^{1.6±0.2} and differs from the hydrodynamic turbulence model that predicts ∼k^{2/3}. We interpret this stronger increasing broadening as a consequence of the more diverse large scale structures (eddies and waves) in plasma turbulence and the accompanied more complex sweeping. Consequently, an identification and association of waves with normal modes based on their dispersion relation only, in particular at ion kinetic scales and below, is not possible in solar wind turbulence.

Deriving plasma densities in tenuous plasma regions, with the spacecraft potential under active control

AbstractVariations of the floating potential on spacecraft are often used to derive plasma densities, complementing the plasma instrument measurements. All spacecraft of the Cluster mission are equipped with Active Spacecraft POtential Control (ASPOC) instruments that control the spacecraft potential. Although the ASPOC operation increases the accuracy of electric field and plasma measurements, it prevents a direct use of the spacecraft potential variations to derive plasma densities. In this work we develop a new reconstruction method of uncontrolled spacecraft potential from controlled spacecraft potential data and a derived photoelectron curve, using multispacecraft observations. We assume that the same curve governs the plasma environment for the spacecraft with ASPOC on and off. The current work focuses on reconstructions in the magnetotail region. The period that was more extensively studied was the one from August to October 2003, when the spacecraft were close to each other, while results from the periods of August–October 2001, 2002, and 2004, when the Cluster spacecraft had their apogee in the magnetotail region, are also presented. In this way, we investigate how the photoelectron curve varies at different time intervals and also how the reconstruction results are modified when the distance between the spacecraft is increasing. Finally, by using the reconstructed results, we proceed by estimating the plasma densities and we discuss the uncertainties of such estimations. While, on average, spacecraft potential measurements are successfully reconstructed, plasma and solar activity variations on short timescales seem to affect the reconstructions, requiring in some cases more detailed analysis in order to achieve results with higher accuracy. Moreover, there are some limitations while deriving results in very tenuous plasma regions due to increased uncertainties in some of the scientific measurements used there. The results and the methods developed for this work can be applied for any other current and future mission with instruments that control the spacecraft potential, such as the recently launched Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission.

Dynamical small-scale magnetic islands as a source of local acceleration of particles in the solar wind

We present observations of energetic particle flux increases up to 1 MeV at 1 AU,which cannot be associated with ordinary mechanisms of particle acceleration, such asacceleration at shocks or at the Sun. Such unusual energetic particle events very likely have alocal origin. Multi-spacecraft observations show that numerous cases of energetic particle fluxenhancements and spikes correspond to passages of spacecraft through areas filled withmagnetic islands with a typical width ∼0.01–0.001AU that experience dynamical mergingor/and contraction. The presence of magnetic islands inside magnetically confined cavities in the solar wind may lead to local particle energization, especially in the case when the particles have already been pre-accelerated to keV energies, for example, at shocks or due to magnetic reconnection at the heliospheric current sheet. We consider different magnetic configurations that provide favourable conditions for both the appearance of small-scale magnetic islands and their confinement.

SMALL-SCALE MAGNETIC ISLANDS IN THE SOLAR WIND AND THEIR ROLE IN PARTICLE ACCELERATION. I. DYNAMICS OF MAGNETIC ISLANDS NEAR THE HELIOSPHERIC CURRENT SHEET

Increases of ion fluxes in the keV-MeV range are sometimes observed near the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) during periods when other sources are absent. These resemble solar energetic particle (SEP) events, but the events are weaker and apparently local. Conventional explanations based on either shock acceleration of charged particles or particle acceleration due to magnetic reconnection at interplanetary current sheets are not persuasive. We suggest instead that recurrent magnetic reconnection occurs at the HCS and smaller current sheets in the solar wind (Zharkova & Khabarova 2012), of which a consequence is particle energization by the dynamically evolving secondary current sheets and magnetic islands (Zank et al. 2014; Drake et al. 2006a). The effectiveness of the trapping and acceleration process associated with magnetic islands depends in part on the topology of the HCS. We show that the HCS possesses ripples superimposed on the large-scale flat or wavy structure. We conjecture that the ripples can efficiently confine plasma and provide tokamak-like conditions that are favorable for the appearance of small-scale magnetic islands that merge and/or contract. Particles trapped in the vicinity of merging islands and experiencing multiple small-scale reconnection events are accelerated by the induced electric field, and experience first-order Fermi acceleration in contracting magnetic islands (Zank et al. 2014). We present multi-spacecraft observations of magnetic island merging and particle energization in the absence of other sources, providing support for theory and simulations that show particle energization by reconnection related processes of magnetic island merging and contraction.

Nighttime magnetic field fluctuations in the topside ionosphere at midlatitudes and their relation to medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances: The spatial structure and scale sizes

AbstractPrevious studies suggested that electric and/or magnetic field fluctuations observed in the nighttime topside ionosphere at midlatitudes generally originate from quiet time nocturnal medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs). However, decisive evidences for the connection between the two have been missing. In this study we make use of the multispacecraft observations of midlatitude magnetic fluctuations (MMFs) in the nighttime topside ionosphere by the Swarm constellation. The analysis results show that the area hosting MMFs is elongated in the NW‐SE (NE‐SW) direction in the Northern (Southern) Hemisphere. The elongation direction and the magnetic field polarization support that the area hosting MMFs is nearly field aligned. All these properties of MMFs suggest that they have close relationship with MSTIDs. Expectation values of root‐mean‐square field‐aligned currents associated with MMFs are up to about 4 nA/m2. MMF coherency significantly drops for longitudinal distances of ≥1∘.

Heliospheric Energetic Particles and Galactic Cosmic Ray Modulation

The paper presents an overview of the SH ‘Solar and Heliospheric cosmic rays’ session of the 24th European Cosmic Ray Symposium (ECRS), Kiel, Germany, 2014. It covers the topics of Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) origin, acceleration and transport at the Sun and in the interplanetary medium, also from the aspect of multi-spacecraft observations, as well as the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) short- and long-term variations and the Jovian electron variations in the heliosphere. Relevant instruments and methods presented are also covered by this review. The paper is written from a personal perspective, emphasizing those results that the author found most interesting.

Electron beam-associated symmetric electrostatic solitary waves on the separatrix of magnetic reconnection: multi-spacecraft analysis

We present an in situ evidence of electron beam-associated symmetric bipolar electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) on the current sheet-side of the separatrix of the magnetic reconnection in the near-Earth magnetotail by multi-spacecraft observation of Cluster. Within one spin period, 42 cases of symmetric ESWs are continuously observed during 2 s by SC2 while other spacecrafts do not “detect” them. And the Plasma Electron and Current Experiment (PEACE) spinPAD mode data exhibits unidirectional electron beam antiparallel to the ambient field, and no electron beam-like distribution is found by other spacecrafts without ESW observation. Though the electron beam is strongly associated with the ESWs in observation by multiple spacecraft differentiation, however, the relationship between the counter-directed electron beam and the simultaneously observed ESWs remains unclear and open to the next study.

ON MULTIPLE RECONNECTIONX-LINES AND TRIPOLAR PERTURBATIONS OF STRONG GUIDE MAGNETIC FIELDS

We report new multi-spacecraft Cluster observations of tripolar guide magnetic field perturbations at a solar wind reconnection exhaust in the presence of a guide field B-M. which is almost four ti ...

Slow electron phase space holes: Magnetotail observations

AbstractWe report multispacecraft observations of slow electrostatic solitary waves in the plasma sheet boundary layer. The electrostatic solitary waves are embedded in a region with field‐aligned electron flows and are interpreted as electron phase space holes. We make unambiguous velocity and length estimates of the electron holes, vEH∼500 km/s and l||∼2–4λDe, where l|| is the parallel half width. We do not detect any magnetic signature of the holes. The electrostatic potentials of the holes are of the order eϕ/kBTe∼10%, indicating that they can affect electron motion and further couple the electron and ion dynamics.