Different FTE signatures generated by the bursty single X line reconnection and the multiple X line reconnection at the dayside magnetopause

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/90JA01989· OSTI ID:5189747

Ding, D Q; Lee, L C; Ma, Z W ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks (USA)

Magnetic signatures associated with the time-dependent magnetic reconnection processes at the dayside magnetopause are studied based on two-dimensional compressible MHD simulations. In the simulations, magnetic and plasma signatures resemblant to the observed flux transfer events (FTEs) can be generated either by the magnetic bulges formed during the bursty single X line reconnection (BSXR) or by the magnetic islands (flux tubes) formed during the multiple X line reconnection (MXR). It is found that the FTE magnetic signatures are not exhibited on the magnetospheric side if the FTEs are due to the BSXR process and B{sub m}/B{sub s} {ge} 1.7, where B{sub m} and B{sub s} are the magnetic field strength in the magnetosheath and in the magnetosphere, respectively. On the other hand, the bipolar FTE signatures can be detected on both the magnetosphere and magnetosheath sides if the FTEs are caused by the MXR process and B{sub m}/B{sub s} {le} 2.6. When B{sub m}/B{sub s} > 2.6, the bipolar FTE signatures in the magnetosphere site become too small to be detected even if magnetic islands are formed during the MXR process. Futhermore, for B{sub m}/B{sub s} > 1, the region for the detection of FTE signatures in the magnetospheric side is smaller than that in the magnetosheath side. Since at the dayside magnetopause the typical value of B{sub m}/B{sub s} is 1-3, the simulation results indicate that more FTE signatures can be detected in the magnetosheath side than in the magnetosphere. It is also found that the MXR process often generates a clear bipolar B{sub n} signature while the BSXR process tends to produce FTEs with a monopolar B{sub n} signature near the reconnection region and a highly asymmetric bipolar B{sub n} signature away from the reconnection region.

• DOE Contract Number: FG06-86ER13530
• OSTI ID: 5189747
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 96:A1; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FLUX
MAGNETIC ISLANDS
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOPAUSE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
SIMULATION
TIME DEPENDENCE
TRANSIENTS
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS