Title: Global three-dimensional simulation of Earth's dayside reconnection using a two-way coupled magnetohydrodynamics with embedded particle-in-cell model: initial results: 3D MHD-EPIC simulation of magnetosphere

Abstract

Abstract We perform a three‐dimensional (3‐D) global simulation of Earth's magnetosphere with kinetic reconnection physics to study the flux transfer events (FTEs) and dayside magnetic reconnection with the recently developed magnetohydrodynamics with embedded particle‐in‐cell model. During the 1 h long simulation, the FTEs are generated quasi‐periodically near the subsolar point and move toward the poles. We find that the magnetic field signature of FTEs at their early formation stage is similar to a “crater FTE,” which is characterized by a magnetic field strength dip at the FTE center. After the FTE core field grows to a significant value, it becomes an FTE with typical flux rope structure. When an FTE moves across the cusp, reconnection between the FTE field lines and the cusp field lines can dissipate the FTE. The kinetic features are also captured by our model. A crescent electron phase space distribution is found near the reconnection site. A similar distribution is found for ions at the location where the Larmor electric field appears. The lower hybrid drift instability (LHDI) along the current sheet direction also arises at the interface of magnetosheath and magnetosphere plasma. The LHDI electric field is about 8 mV/m, and its dominant wavelength relative to themore » electron gyroradius agrees reasonably with Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations.« less

Authors:

Chen, Yuxi ^[1]; Tóth, Gábor  ^[1];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-5654-9823"

Cassak, Paul  ^[2];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-5938-1050"

Jia, Xianzhe  ^[3];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-8685-1484"

Gombosi, Tamas I. ^[1]; Slavin, James A.  ^[3];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Slavin, James A."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-9206-724X"

Markidis, Stefano ^[4]; Peng, Ivy Bo ^[4]; Jordanova, Vania K.  ^[5];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Jordanova, Vania K."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-0475-8743"

Henderson, Michael G.  ^[5]

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-4975-9029"

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States). Center for Space Environment Modeling
2. West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
3. Center for Space Environment Modeling, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI USA
4. KTH Royal Inst. of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden)
5. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Publication Date:

Mon Sep 18 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Research Org.:

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1394984

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1485749

Report Number(s):

LA-UR-17-25622
Journal ID: ISSN 2169-9380

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC52-06NA25396; ACI-1640510

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 122; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-9380

Publisher:

American Geophysical Union

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

58 GEOSCIENCES; Heliospheric and Magnetospheric Physics