Open Field Lines Research Articles

Parker Solar Probe Observations of Magnetic Reconnection Exhausts in Quiescent Plasmas near the Sun

Parker Solar Probe observations are analyzed for the presence of reconnection exhausts across current sheets (CSs) within R < 0.26 au during encounters 4–11. Exhausts are observed with nearly equal probability at all radial distances with a preference for quiescent Tp < 0.80 MK plasmas typical of a slow-wind regime. High Tp > 0.80 MK plasmas of a fast wind characterized by significant transverse fluctuations rarely support exhausts irrespective of the CS width. Exhaust observations demonstrate the presence of local temperature gradients across several CSs with a higher-Tp plasma on locally closed fields and a lower-Tp plasma on locally open field lines for an interchange-type reconnection. A CS geometry analysis directly supports the property that X-lines bisect the magnetic field rotation θ-angle, whether the fields and plasmas are asymmetric or not, to maximize reconnection rates and available magnetic energy. The CS normal width d cs distributions suggest that a multiscale reconnection process through nested layers of bifurcated CSs may be responsible for observed power-law distributions beyond the median d cs ∼ 1000 km with an exponential d cs distribution present for ion kinetic dissipation scales below this median. Magnetic field shear θ-angles are essentially identical at R < 0.26 and 1 au with medians at θ ∼ 55° near the Sun and θ ∼ 65° at 1 au. In contrast, the tangential flow shear distributions are different near and far from the Sun. A bimodal flow shear angle distribution is present near the Sun with strong shear flow magnitudes. This distribution is modified with radial distance toward a relatively flat distribution of weaker flow shear magnitudes.

Signatures of Open Magnetic Flux in Jupiter's Dawnside Magnetotail

AbstractJupiter's magnetosphere exhibits notable distinctions from the terrestrial magnetosphere. The structure and dynamics of Jupiter's dawnside magnetosphere can be characterized as a competition between internally driven sunward flow and solar wind‐driven tailward flow. During the prime mission, Juno acquired extensive data from dawn to midnight, sampling the magnetodisc and higher latitude regions. Numerical moments from the Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE‐I) plasma (ion) instrument revealed a mid‐latitude region of anticorotational (−vϕ) flow. While the magnitude of the flow is subject to uncertainty due to low count rates in these rarefied regions, we demonstrate in the raw JADE‐I data that the sign of vϕ is a robust measurement. Global Grid Agnostic Magnetohydrodyamics for Extended Research Applications simulations show a similar region of strongly reduced flow in proximity to open field lines. Additionally, we use Jupiter Energetic‐particle Detector Instrument integral moments to determine the Hen+/H+ ratio (where n refers to He+ or He++) and show that a transition to solar wind‐like composition occurs in the same region as the anticorotational flow. We conclude that the global simulations are consistent with the Juno data, where the simulations show a crescent of open magnetic flux that is bounded by the magnetodisc and a closed high‐latitude polar region (nominally the polar cap), which is never observed in the terrestrial magnetosphere. The distinct distribution of open flux in Jupiter's dawnside magnetosphere suggests the significance of planetary rotation and may represent a characteristic feature of rotating giant magnetospheres for future exploration.

Proposed Resolution to the Solar Open Magnetic Flux Problem

The solar magnetic fields emerging from the photosphere into the chromosphere and corona are comprised of a combination of closed (field lines with both ends rooted at the Sun) and open (field lines with only one end at the Sun) fields. Since the early 2000s, the magnitude of total unsigned open magnetic flux estimated by coronal models has been in significant disagreement with in situ spacecraft observations, especially during solar maximum. Estimates of total open unsigned magnetic flux using coronal hole observations (e.g., using extreme ultraviolet or helium (He) I) are in general, in average agreement with the coronal model results and thus show similar disagreements with in situ observations. This paper provides a brief overview of the problem, summarizes the proposed explanations for the discrepancies, and presents results that strongly support the explanation that the discrepancy is due to dynamics at the open-closed boundary. These results are derived from the determination of the total unsigned open magnetic flux, utilizing the Wang–Sheeley–Arge model at a particular spatial resolution and different field-line tracing methods. One of these methods produces excellent agreement with in situ observations. Our results imply that strong magnetic fields in close proximity to active regions and residing near the boundaries of mid-latitude coronal holes are the primary source of the missing open flux. Furthermore, the results outlined here resolve many of the seemingly contradictory facts that have made the open-flux problem so difficult.

Connecting remote and in situ observations of shock-accelerated electrons associated with a coronal mass ejection

Context. One of the most prominent sources for energetic particles in our Solar System are huge eruptions of magnetised plasma from the Sun, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which usually drive shocks that accelerate charged particles up to relativistic energies. In particular, energetic electron beams can generate radio bursts through the plasma emission mechanism, for example, type II and accompanying herringbone bursts. Aims. In this work, we investigate the acceleration location, escape, and propagation directions of various electron beams in the solar corona and compare them to the arrival of electrons at spacecraft. Methods. To track energetic electron beams, we used a synthesis of remote and direct observations combined with coronal modeling. Remote observations include ground-based radio observations from the Nançay Radioheliograph (NRH) combined with space-based extreme-ultraviolet and white-light observations from Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), and Solar Orbiter (SolO). We also used direct observations of energetic electrons from the STEREO and Wind spacecraft. These observations were then combined with a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the electron acceleration locations, including the results of magneto-hydrodynamic models of the solar corona. This representation was subsequently used to investigate the origin of electrons observed remotely at the Sun and their link to in situ electrons. Results. We observed a type II radio burst followed by herringbone bursts that show single-frequency movement through time in NRH images. The movement of the type II burst and herringbone radio sources seems to be influenced by regions in the corona where the CME is more capable of driving a shock. We found two clear distinct regions where electrons are accelerated in the low corona and we found spectral differences between the radio emission generated in these regions. We also found similar inferred injection times of near-relativistic electrons at spacecraft to the emission time of the type II and herringbone bursts. However, only the herringbone bursts propagate in a direction where the shock encounters open magnetic field lines that are likely to be magnetically connected to the same spacecraft. Conclusions. Our results indicate that if the in situ electrons are indeed shock-accelerated, the most likely origin of the in situ electrons arriving first is located near the acceleration site of herringbone electrons. This is the only region during the early evolution of the shock where there is clear evidence of electron acceleration and an intersection of the shock with open field lines, which can be directly connected to the observing spacecraft.

Kinetic plasma-sheath self-organization

The interaction between a plasma and a solid surface is studied in a (1D–1V) kinetic framework using a localized particle and convective energy source. Matching the quasineutral plasma region and sheath horizon is addressed in the fluid framework with a zero heat flux closure. It highlights non-polytropic nature of the physics of parallel transport. Shortfalls of this approach compared to a reference kinetic simulation highlight the importance of the heat flux as the measure of kinetic effects. Non-collisional closure and higher moment closure are used to determine the sound velocity. Within these frameworks, no gain in the fluid predictive capability is obtained. The kinetic constraint at the sheath horizon is discussed and modified to account for conditions that are actually met in simulations, namely quasineutrality with a small but finite charge density. Analyzing the distribution functions shows that collisional transfer is mandatory to achieve steady-state self-organization on the open field lines.

Blob and hole dynamics in the rotating plasma column of a simple magnetised torus in open field line configuration

Blob and hole dynamics in the rotating plasma column of a simple magnetised torus in open field line configuration

Formation of a streamer blob via the merger of multiple plasma clumps below 2R_sun

Propagating streamer blobs could be an important source of disturbances in the solar wind. Direct observations of the formation of streamer blobs could be a proxy for understanding the formation of small-scale structures and disturbances in the solar wind. We aim to investigate how a streamer blob is formed before it is observed in the outer corona. Using special coordinated observations from SOHO/LASCO, GOES/SUVI, and SDO/AIA, we studied the precursors of a streamer blob seen in the corona below 2.0 solar radii ( We find that the streamer blob formed due to the gradual merging of three clumps of brightenings initiated from the lower corona at about 1.8\ which was likely driven by the expansion of the loop system at the base of the streamer. The acceleration of the blob starts at 1.9\ or lower. It propagates along the south flank of the streamer, where an expanding elongated brightening occurs coincidentally. Our observations demonstrate that formation of a streamer blob is a complex process. We suggest that the expansion of the loop results in a pinching-off flux-rope-like blob at the loop apex below 2\ When the blob moves outward, it can be transferred across the overlying loops through interchange or component magnetic reconnection and is then released into the open field system. When the blob moves toward open field lines, interchange magnetic reconnection might also occur, and that can accelerate the plasma blob intermittently, while allowing it to transfer across the open field lines. Such dynamics in a streamer blob might further trigger small-scale disturbances in the solar wind such as switchbacks in the inner heliosphere.

The pulsar magnetosphere with machine learning: methodology

ABSTRACT In this study, we introduce a novel approach for deriving the solution of the ideal force-free steady-state pulsar magnetosphere in three dimensions. Our method involves partitioning the magnetosphere into the regions of closed and open field lines, and subsequently training two custom Physics Informed Neural Networks to generate the solution within each region. We periodically modify the shape of the boundary separating the two regions (the separatrix) to ensure pressure balance throughout. Our approach provides an effective way to handle mathematical contact discontinuities in force-free electrodynamics. We present preliminary results in axisymmetry, which underscore the significant potential of our method. Finally, we discuss the challenges and limitations encountered while working with Neural Networks, thus providing valuable insights from our experience.

Comparison between Analytical and Numerical Results for Twisted Magnetosphere of Magnetars

The analytical calculations for twisted magnetosphere of magnetars are compared with recent numerical simulations. A larger polar cap, a smaller magnetospheric opening radius in previous analytical modelings are confirmed by the numerical simulations. In the case of magnetars, the particle outflow luminosity in the open field line regions may be powered by the magnetic energy.

Structure of the electron temperature profile around the separatrix

The temperature decay length () in the near scrape-off layer (SOL) reflects the ratio between the transport parallel to the magnetic field lines via Spitzer–Härm electron conduction and the perpendicular mechanisms involving neoclassical and anomalous transport. The implementation of the thermal helium beam diagnostic on ASDEX Upgrade has enabled an excellent spatiotemporal study of the structure of the electron temperature profile () around the separatrix and the derivation of the near SOL decay lengths. From the analysis of the profile structure of attached H- and L-mode discharges, a self-consistent correspondence between the extrema of the electron temperature curvature profile () and the position of the separatrix () is revealed. A 1.5 D model for the power balance from closed to open field lines, including the escaping heat flux from the confined region and the parallel losses to the divertor, as well as results from the plasma edge code GRILLIX, support these experimental results. The evaluation shows that the temperature decay length is not constant over the plasma edge and SOL region, so that the absolute value of strongly depends on the analyzed region. Independent of the exact location and in agreement with edge Thomson scattering evaluations, the decay lengths show the known inverse relation to the plasma current ().

The Effect of Magnetic Field Line Topology on ICME-related GCR Modulation

The large-scale magnetic structure of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) has been shown to affect the galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) flux measured in situ by spacecraft, causing temporary decreases known as Forbush decreases (FDs). In some ICMEs, the magnetic ejecta exhibits a magnetic flux rope (FR) structure; the strong magnetic field strength and closed field line geometry of such ICME FRs have been proposed to act as a shield to GCR transport. In this study, we identify four ICMEs near Earth that drove FDs with similar mean magnetic field strengths (20–25 nT), two ICMEs with more typical mean speeds (∼400 km s−1), and two fast (∼750 km s−1) ICMEs. Within each speed pairing, we identify an ICME that exhibited an open magnetic field line topology and compare its effect on the GCR flux to that which exhibited a mostly closed topology. We investigate the different mechanisms that contribute to the resulting ICME-related FDs and their recovery and determine which properties, if any, play a more important role than others in driving FDs. We find that much of the GCR response to the ICME events in this study is independent of the open or closed magnetic field line topology of the FR and that features such as the fluctuations in speed, magnetic field structure, and expansion within the FR may play more of a role in determining the smaller-scale structure of the FD profile.

Evidence for Magnetic Reconnection as the Precursor to Discrete Aurora at Mars

AbstractDiscrete aurora at Mars are characterized as localized, short‐lasting ultraviolet emissions on the nightside. They are caused by the precipitation of accelerated electron along open magnetic field lines and their collision with the Martian atmosphere. Discrete auroral emissions detected by the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) instrument onboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft occur most frequently over the strongest crustal magnetic anomalies at Mars and under particular local time and upstream interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. These trends suggest that the onset of discrete aurora is controlled by the processes that govern the interaction between the draped IMF and the crustal magnetic anomalies. Here, we analyze MAVEN magnetometer measurements over regions of strong crustal fields during 49 discrete auroral events observed by IUVS. Our results indicate that the draped IMF orientations during each discrete auroral event show a clear tendency to be anti‐parallel to the underlying crustal anomaly magnetic fields near the location of the emission onset. This suggests that magnetic reconnection, a process that favors anti‐parallel magnetic field regimes, between the crustal fields and the draped IMF plays a role in discrete aurora formation. Of the 49 discrete auroral events analyzed, 42 (86%) occurred under draped IMF conditions that are susceptible to reconnection with the underlying crustal anomalies. This investigation produces strong evidence linking discrete aurora to magnetic reconnection at Mars and provides insights into other trends in discrete auroral activation such as local time and upstream IMF conditions.

Ion Kinetics of Plasma Interchange Reconnection in the Lower Solar Corona

The exploration of the inner heliosphere by the Parker Solar Probe has revealed a highly structured solar wind with ubiquitous deflections from the Parker spiral, known as switchbacks. Interchange reconnection (IR) may play an important role in generating these switchbacks, by forming unstable particle distributions that generate wave activity that in turn may evolve to such structures. IR occurs in very low-beta plasmas and in the presence of strong guiding fields. Although IR is unlikely to release enough energy to provide an important contribution to the heating and acceleration of the solar wind, it affects the way the solar wind is connected to its sources, connecting open field lines to regions of closed fields. This “switching on” provides a mechanism by which the plasma near coronal hole boundaries can mix with that trapped inside the closed loops. This mixing can lead to a new energy balance. It may significantly change the characteristics of the solar wind because this plasma is already preheated and can potentially have quite different density and particle distributions. It not only replenishes the solar wind, but also affects the electric field, which in turn affects the energy balance. This interpenetration is manifested by the formation of a bimodal ion distribution, with a core and a beam-like population. Such distributions are indeed frequently observed by the Parker Solar Probe. Here we provide a first step toward assessing the role of such processes in accelerating and heating the solar wind.

Effects of the evolving early Moon and Earth magnetospheres

Recently it has been identified that our Moon had an extensive magnetosphere for several hundred million years soon after it was formed when the Moon was within 20 Earth Radii (RE) from the Earth. Some aspects of the interaction between the early Earth-Moon magnetospheres are investigated by mapping the interconnected field lines between the Earth and the Moon and investigating how the early lunar magnetosphere affects the magnetospheric dynamics within the coupled magnetospheres over time. So long as the magnetosphere of the Moon remains strong as it moves away from the Earth in the antialigned dipole configuration, the extent of the Earth’s open field lines decreases. As a result, at times it significantly changes the structure of the field-aligned current system, pushing the polar cusp significantly northward, and forcing magnetotail reconnection sites into the deeper tail region. In addition, the combined magnetospheres of the Earth and the Moon greatly extend the number of closed field lines enabling a much larger plasmasphere to exist and connecting the lunar polar cap with closed field lines to the Earth. That configuration supports the transfer of plasma between the Earth and the Moon potentially creating a time capsule of the evolution of volatiles with depth. This paper only touches on the evolution of the early Earth and Moon magnetospheres, which has been a largely neglected space physics problem and has great potential for complex follow-on studies using more advanced tools and due to the expected new lunar data coming in the next decade through the Artemis Program.

Element Abundances in Impulsive Solar Energetic-Particle Events

Impulsive solar energetic-particle (SEP) events were first distinguished as the streaming electrons that produce type III radio bursts as distinct from shock-induced type II bursts. They were then observed as the surprisingly enhanced 3He-rich SEP events, which were also found to have element enhancements rising smoothly with the mass-to-charge ratio A/Q through the elements, even up to Pb. These impulsive SEPs have been found to originate during magnetic reconnection in solar jets where open magnetic field lines allow energetic particles to escape. In contrast, impulsive solar flares are produced when similar reconnection involves closed field lines where energetic ions are trapped on closed loops and dissipate their energy as X-rays, γ-rays, and heat. Abundance enhancements that are power laws in A/Q can be used to determine Q values and hence the coronal source temperature in the events. Results show no evidence of heating, implying reconnection and ion acceleration occur early, rapidly, and at low density. Proton and He excesses that contribute their own power law may identify events with reacceleration of SEPs by shock waves driven by accompanying fast, narrow coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in many of the stronger jets.

Evolution of Earth's oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon polar outflow in the Archean eon

The habitability of Earth significantly depends on the evolution of its atmospheric properties, which are strongly influenced by escape processes. Polar outflow, which encompasses the atmospheric escape of ions through the open field lines of the Earth's magnetosphere, is the dominant escape process for modern Earth and likely played a significant role in Earth's early history as well. In this article, we investigate the evolution of Earth's polar outflow during the Archean eon 3-4 gigayears (Ga) ago for an N2-CO2 atmosphere. For this, we use a kinetic direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) particle code to simulate the interactions between the solar wind and the Earth's upper atmosphere. We explore the effects of different CO2 mixing ratios (10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 99%) on the polar outflow escape rates of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon. Using the ion production rates as an estimate for polar outflow, our results indicate that during the time 3.6-4.0 Ga ago, a CO2 mixing ratio larger than 25% may have been necessary to avoid excessive escape via polar outflow. Close to 4 Ga ago, even 50% CO2 may have been necessary due to the stronger solar winds. Our results align with other studies also suggesting a similarly high CO2 mixing ratio in the early Archean.

Confining and escaping magnetic field lines in tokamaks: Analysis via symplectic maps

In magnetically confined plasma, it is possible to qualitatively describe the magnetic field configuration via phase spaces of suitable symplectic maps. These phase spaces are of mixed type, where chaos coexists with regular motion, and the complete understanding of the complex dynamical evolution of chaotic trajectories is a challenge that, when overcome, may provide further knowledge into the behaviour of confined fusion plasma. This work presents two numerical investigations into characteristics of mixed phase spaces which model distinct magnetic configurations in tokamaks under different perturbation regimes. The first approach relies on a recurrence-based analysis of ensembles of chaotic trajectories to detect open field lines that widely differ from the average. The second focuses on the transient dynamical behaviour of field lines before they escape the systems. These two methods provide insights into the influence of stickiness and invariant manifolds on the evolution of chaotic trajectories, improving our understanding of how these features affect transport and diffusion properties in mixed phase spaces. These theoretical and numerical approaches may enhance our comprehension of confined plasma behaviour and plasma-wall interactions.

On the pulsar Y-point

ABSTRACT The pulsar magnetosphere is divided into a corotating region of closed field lines surrounded by open field lines that emanate from the two poles of the star, extend to infinity, and are separated by an equatorial current sheet. The three regions meet at a magnetospheric Y-point. In steady-state solutions of the ideal force-free magnetosphere, the Y-point may lie at any distance inside the light cylinder. Time-dependent force-free simulations, however, develop closed-line regions that extend all the way to the light cylinder. On the other hand, Particle-in-Cell (PIC) solutions consistently develop smaller closed-line regions. In order to understand this effect, we solve the pulsar equation with an improved numerical method. We show that the total electromagnetic energy stored in the ideal force-free magnetosphere manifests a subtle minimum when the closed-line region extends to only 90 per cent of the light cylinder, and thus argue that the system will spontaneously choose this particular configuration. Furthermore, we argue that the intersection of the corotating region with the equatorial current sheet is at right angles, literally leading to a T-point.

Toward continuum gyrokinetic study of high-field mirrors

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnetic mirrors under development exploit strong fields with high mirror ratio to compress loss cones and enhance confinement and may offer cheaper, more compact fusion power plant candidates. This new class of devices could exhibit largely unexplored interchange and gradient-driven modes. Such instabilities, and methods to stabilize them, can be studied with gyrokinetics, given the strong magnetization and prevalence of kinetic effects. Our focus here is to (a) determine if oft-used gyrokinetic models for open field lines produce the electron-confining (Pastukhov) electrostatic potential and (b) examine and address challenges faced by gyrokinetic codes in studying HTS mirrors. We show that a one-dimensional limit of said models self-consistently develops a potential qualitatively approaching the analytical Pastukhov level. Additionally, we describe the computational challenges of studying high mirror ratios with open field line gyrokinetic solvers and offer a force softening method to mitigate small time steps needed for time integration in colossal magnetic field gradients produced by HTS coils, providing a 19X speedup.

Reconnection-driven flares in 3D black hole magnetospheres

Context. Low-luminosity supermassive and stellar-mass black holes (BHs) may be embedded in a collisionless and highly magnetized plasma. They show nonthermal flares indicative of particles being accelerated up to relativistic speeds by dissipative processes in the vicinity of the BH. During near-infrared flares from the supermassive BH Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the GRAVITY Collaboration detected circular motion and polarization evolution, which suggest the presence of transient synchrotron-emitting hot spots moving around the BH. Aims. We study 3D reconnecting current layers in the magnetosphere of spinning BHs to determine whether plasma-loaded flux ropes which are formed near the event horizon could reproduce the hot spot observations and help constrain the BH spin. Methods. We performed global 3D particle-in-cell simulations in Kerr spacetime of a pair plasma embedded in a strong and large-scale magnetic field originating in a perfectly conducting disk in prograde Keplerian rotation. Results. A cone-shaped current layer develops which surrounds the twisted open magnetic field lines threading the event horizon. Spinning magnetic field lines coupling the disk to the BH inflate and reconnect a few gravitational radii above the disk. This quasi-periodic cycle accelerates particles, which accumulate in a few macroscopic flux ropes rotating with the outermost coupling magnetic field line. Once flux ropes detach, they propagate in the current layer following what appears as a rapidly opening spiral when seen face-on. A single flux rope carries enough relativistic electrons and positrons to emit synchrotron radiation at levels suitable to reproduce the peak-luminosity of the flares of Sgr A* but it quickly fades away as it flows away. Conclusions. Our kinematic analysis of the flux ropes motion favors a BH spin of 0.65 to 0.8 for Sgr A*. The duration of the flares of Sgr A* can only be explained provided the underlying magnetic loop seeded in the disk mid-plane has a finite lifetime and azimuthal extension. In this scenario, the hot spot corresponds to a spinning arc along which multiple reconnection sites power the net emission as flux ropes episodically detach.