Mapping MMS Observations of Solitary Waves in Earth's Magnetic Field | CU Experts

Electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) are a type of nonlinear time-domain; plasma structure (TDS) generally defined by bipolar electric fields and; propagation parallel to the local magnetic field. Formation mechanisms; for TDSs in the magnetosphere have been studied extensively and are; associated with plasma boundary layers and the braking of bursty bulk; flows (BBFs). However, the rapid timescales over which these TDSs occur; (< 2 ms) make them infeasible to count by eye over large time; periods. Furthermore, high-cadence data are not always available. The; Solitary Wave Detector (SWD) on NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS); mission quantifies the occurrence and amplitude of TDS throughout the; constellation’s orbit; analysis of burst (65 kS/s) parallel electric; field data indicates that the SWD captures appx. 60% of all bipolar TDS; encountered in the tail region, enabling large-scale examination of; their occurrence. Maps of TDS occurrence rates during several years of; the MMS mission were generated from SWD data, showing enhanced TDS; density in the tail region between 6-9 Re; enhance occurrence in or near; shocks; and an unexpected enhancement in the dawn side of the tail and; in the radiation belt.

Hansel PJ; WILDER F; Malaspina DM; Ergun RE; Ahmadi N; Holmes JC; Goodrich KA; Fuselier SA; Giles BL; Russell CT

VIVO