The Cold Ion Population at Geosynchronous Orbit and Transport to the Dayside Magnetopause: September 2015 to February 2016

Denton, Mick H.; Henderson, Michael Gerard; Maruyama, N.; Fuselier, Steve A.

doi:10.1029/2019ja026973

Title: The Cold Ion Population at Geosynchronous Orbit and Transport to the Dayside Magnetopause: September 2015 to February 2016

Journal Article · 26 October 2019 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2019ja026973 · OSTI ID:1660593

^[1];

^[2];

^[3];

^[4]

Space Science Inst., Boulder, CO (United States); New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO (United States)
Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (United States); Univ. of Texas at San Antonio, TX (United States)

During intervals of enhanced magnetospheric convection, a high-density plume of cold ions is eroded from the plasmasphere and can flow toward the dayside magnetopause where it has the potential to reduce the rate of magnetic reconnection. In any interval of long-duration enhanced convection, tons of ions may follow such a trajectory. The study here concerns cold ion observations from geosynchronous orbit (GEO) during both calm and active periods. Probability distributions of the cold ion density and cold ion flow speed are determined during the 6-month period from September 2015 to February 2016, inclusive. During low geomagnetic activity, the cold, dense ions are in corotation with the Earth, and flow speeds seldom exceed 10 km/s. During elevated geomagnetic activity, the cold ions between 12 and 18 magnetic local time are observed to flow toward the dayside magnetosphere with a speed of >10 km/s approximately 50% of the time. The Shue et al. (1998, https://doi.org/10.1029/98JA01103) model of the magnetopause location is used to derive the distribution of approximate minimum times for the cold ions to be transported from GEO to the dayside magnetopause. On average, during enhanced convection periods (Kp > 3) ions will take a mean time of ~4.5 hr to travel from GEO to the dayside magnetopause.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001

OSTI ID:: 1660593

Report Number(s):: LA-UR--19-24714

Journal Information:: Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 124; ISSN 2169-9380

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (45)

The plasmaspheric plume and magnetopause reconnection Walsh, B. M.; Phan, T. D.; Sibeck, D. G. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 41, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/2013GL058802	journal	January 2014
Storm time observations of plasmasphere erosion flux in the magnetosphere and ionosphere: Foster et al.: Plasmasphere Erosion Flux Foster, J. C.; Erickson, P. J.; Coster, A. J. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 41, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/2013GL059124	journal	February 2014
The solar wind electric field does not control the dayside reconnection rate: Electric Field and Dayside Reconnection Borovsky, Joseph E.; Birn, Joachim Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 119, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JA019193	journal	February 2014
Statistically measuring the amount of pitch angle scattering that energetic electrons undergo as they drift across the plasmaspheric drainage plume at geosynchronous orbit: Pitch-Angle Scattering in the Plume Borovsky, Joseph E.; Friedel, Reiner H. W.; Denton, Michael H. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 119, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JA019310	journal	March 2014
Evolution of mass density and O+ concentration at geostationary orbit during storm and quiet events Denton, R. E.; Takahashi, K.; Thomsen, M. F. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 119, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JA019888	journal	August 2014
Long-lived plasmaspheric drainage plumes: Where does the plasma come from?: Long-Lived Plasmaspheric Plumes Borovsky, Joseph E.; Welling, Daniel T.; Thomsen, Michelle F. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 119, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JA020228	journal	August 2014
Observations and modeling of magnetic flux tube refilling of the plasmasphere at geosynchronous orbit: Refilling at Geosynchronous Orbit Denton, M. H.; Borovsky, J. E. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 119, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JA020491	journal	November 2014
Magnetic reconnection and modification of the Hall physics due to cold ions at the magnetopause: HALL PHYSICS AND COLD IONS André, M.; Li, W.; Toledo-Redondo, S. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 43, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069665	journal	July 2016
Cold ion demagnetization near the X-line of magnetic reconnection: COLD ION-DECOUPLING REGION Toledo-Redondo, Sergio; André, Mats; Khotyaintsev, Yuri V. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 43, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069877	journal	July 2016
The complex nature of storm-time ion dynamics: Transport and local acceleration: STORm-tiME ION DYNAMICS Denton, M. H.; Reeves, G. D.; Thomsen, M. F. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 43, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070878	journal	October 2016
The integrated dayside merging rate is controlled primarily by the solar wind: THE SOLAR WIND CONTROLS DAYSIDE MERGING Lopez, Ramon E. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 121, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JA022556	journal	May 2016
The response of the inner magnetosphere to the trailing edges of high‐speed solar‐wind streams Denton, M. H.; Borovsky, J. E. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 122, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JA023592	journal	January 2017
The plasma environment inside geostationary orbit: A Van Allen Probes HOPE survey: HOPE Magnetosphere Composition Survey Fernandes, Philip A.; Larsen, Brian A.; Thomsen, Michelle F. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 122, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JA024160	journal	September 2017
Magnetospheric ion influence at the dayside magnetopause: Magnetospheric Ions at the Magnetopause Fuselier, S. A.; Burch, J. L.; Mukherjee, J. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 122, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JA024515	journal	August 2017
Imaging the Global Distribution of Plasmaspheric Oxygen Goldstein, J.; Chappell, C. R.; Davis, M. W. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JA024531	journal	March 2018
Physical improvements to the solar wind reconnection control function for the Earth's magnetosphere: SOLAR WIND/MAGNETOSPHERE RECONNECTION Borovsky, Joseph E. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 118, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1002/jgra.50110	journal	May 2013
Statistical analysis of the plasmaspheric plume at the magnetopause: PLASMASPHERIC PLUME AT THE MAGNETOPAUSE Walsh, B. M.; Sibeck, D. G.; Nishimura, Y. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 118, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1002/jgra.50458	journal	August 2013
Estimating the effects of ionospheric plasma on solar wind/magnetosphere coupling via mass loading of dayside reconnection: Ion-plasma-sheet oxygen, plasmaspheric drainage plumes, and the plasma cloak: IONOSPHERE AND SOLAR WIND COUPLING Borovsky, Joseph E.; Denton, Michael H.; Denton, Richard E. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 118, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1002/jgra.50527	journal	September 2013
Helium, Oxygen, Proton, and Electron (HOPE) Mass Spectrometer for the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission Funsten, H. O.; Skoug, R. M.; Guthrie, A. A. Space Science Reviews, Vol. 179, Issue 1-4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-013-9968-7	journal	March 2013
Magnetospheric Multiscale Science Mission Profile and Operations Fuselier, S. A.; Lewis, W. S.; Schiff, C. Space Science Reviews, Vol. 199, Issue 1-4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-014-0087-x	journal	September 2014
Hot Plasma Composition Analyzer for the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission Young, D. T.; Burch, J. L.; Gomez, R. G. Space Science Reviews, Vol. 199, Issue 1-4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-014-0119-6	journal	December 2014
Superposed epoch analysis of a whistler instability criterion at geosynchronous orbit during geomagnetic storms MacDonald, E. A.; Denton, M. H.; Thomsen, M. F. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 70, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2008.03.021	journal	November 2008
The superdense plasma sheet in the magnetosphere during high-speed-stream-driven storms: Plasma transport timescales Denton, Michael H.; Borovsky, Joseph E. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Vol. 71, Issue 10-11 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2008.04.023	journal	July 2009
Plasma sheet access to geosynchronous orbit Korth, H.; Thomsen, M. F.; Borovsky, J. E. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 104, Issue A11 https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JA900292	journal	November 1999
A comprehensive survey of plasmasphere refilling at geosynchronous orbit Su, Yi-Jiun; Thomsen, Michelle F.; Borovsky, Joseph E. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 106, Issue A11 https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JA000441	journal	November 2001
Bulk plasma properties at geosynchronous orbit Denton, M. H. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 110, Issue A7 https://doi.org/10.1029/2004JA010861	journal	January 2005
Why Kp is such a good measure of magnetospheric convection Thomsen, M. F. Space Weather, Vol. 2, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1029/2004SW000089	journal	November 2004
Effect of plasmaspheric drainage plumes on solar-wind/magnetosphere coupling Borovsky, Joseph E.; Denton, Michael H. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 33, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL026519	journal	January 2006
A statistical look at plasmaspheric drainage plumes: PLASMASPHERIC DRAINAGE PLUMES Borovsky, Joseph E.; Denton, Michael H. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 113, Issue A9 https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JA012994	journal	September 2008
Superposed epoch analysis of high-speed-stream effects at geosynchronous orbit: Hot plasma, cold plasma, and the solar wind: SUPERPOSED EPOCH ANALYSIS OF HSS Denton, M. H.; Borovsky, J. E. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 113, Issue A7 https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JA012998	journal	July 2008
Electron loss rates from the outer radiation belt caused by the filling of the outer plasmasphere: The calm before the storm: RADIATION BELT ELECTRON LOSS RATES Borovsky, Joseph E.; Denton, Michael H. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 114, Issue A11 https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JA014063	journal	November 2009
On the heating of the outer radiation belt to produce high fluxes of relativistic electrons: Measured heating rates at geosynchronous orbit for high-speed stream-driven storms: OUTER ELECTRON RADIATION BELT HEATING Borovsky, Joseph E.; Denton, Michael H. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 115, Issue A12 https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JA015342	journal	December 2010
Probing the relationship between electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves and plasmaspheric plumes near geosynchronous orbit: EMIC WAVES AND PLASMASPHERIC PLUMES Posch, J. L.; Engebretson, M. J.; Murphy, M. T. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 115, Issue A11 https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JA015446	journal	November 2010
Magnetosphere response to high-speed solar wind streams: A comparison of weak and strong driving and the importance of extended periods of fast solar wind: HSSs: WEAK AND STRONG DRIVING Denton, M. H.; Borovsky, J. E. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 117, Issue A9 https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JA017124	journal	May 2012
A comparison of magnetic field measurements and a plasma-based proxy to infer EMIC wave distributions at geosynchronous orbit: EMIC PROXY AND WAVE COMPARISON Blum, L. W.; MacDonald, E. A.; Clausen, L. B. N. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 117, Issue A5 https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JA017474	journal	May 2012
Observational Evidence of Large-Scale Multiple Reconnection at the Earth's Dayside Magnetopause Fuselier, S. A.; Petrinec, S. M.; Trattner, K. J. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 123, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JA025681	journal	October 2018
Magnetopause location under extreme solar wind conditions Shue, J. -H.; Song, P.; Russell, C. T. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol. 103, Issue A8 https://doi.org/10.1029/98JA01103	journal	August 1998
Ogo 5 measurements of the plasmasphere during observations of stable auroral red arcs Chappell, C. R.; Harris, K. K.; Sharp, G. W. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 76, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1029/JA076i010p02357	journal	April 1971
The three-hour-range index measuring geomagnetic activity Bartels, J.; Heck, N. H.; Johnston, H. F. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 44, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1029/TE044i004p00411	journal	January 1939
Magnetospheric plasma analyzer for spacecraft with constrained resources Bame, S. J.; McComas, D. J.; Thomsen, M. F. Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 64, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1144173	journal	April 1993
Scaling of asymmetric magnetic reconnection: General theory and collisional simulations Cassak, P. A.; Shay, M. A. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 14, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2795630	journal	October 2007
Properties of asymmetric magnetic reconnection Birn, J.; Borovsky, J. E.; Hesse, M. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 15, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2888491	journal	March 2008
High-speed stream driven inferences of global wave distributions at geosynchronous orbit: relevance to radiation-belt dynamics MacDonald, Elizabeth A.; Blum, Lauren W.; Gary, S. Peter Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 466, Issue 2123 https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2010.0076	journal	May 2010
Simultaneous Ground- and Space-Based Observations of the Plasmaspheric Plume and Reconnection Walsh, B. M.; Foster, J. C.; Erickson, P. J. Science, Vol. 343, Issue 6175 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1247212	journal	March 2014
Statistical analysis of plasmaspheric plumes with Cluster/WHISPER observations Darrouzet, F.; De Keyser, J.; Décréau, P. M. E. Annales Geophysicae, Vol. 26, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-26-2403-2008	journal	January 2008