MMS Multipoint electric field observations of small-scale magnetic holes

Katherine A. Goodrich; Robert E. Ergun; Frederick D. Wilder; James Burch; Roy Torbert; Yuri Khotyaintsev; Per-Arne Lindqvist; Christopher Russell; Robert Strangeway; Werner Magnes; Daniel Gershman; Barbara Giles; Rumi Nakamura; Julia Stawarz; Justin Holmes; Andrew Sturner; David M. Malaspina

doi:10.1002/2016GL069157

MMS Multipoint electric field observations of small-scale magnetic holes

Katherine A. Goodrich^*, Robert E. Ergun, Frederick D. Wilder, James Burch, Roy Torbert, Yuri Khotyaintsev, Per-Arne Lindqvist, Christopher Russell, Robert Strangeway, Werner Magnes, Daniel Gershman, Barbara Giles, Rumi Nakamura, Julia Stawarz, Justin Holmes, Andrew Sturner, David M. Malaspina

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Small-scale magnetic holes (MHs), local depletions in magnetic field strength, have been observed multiple times in the Earth's magnetosphere in the bursty bulk flow (BBF) braking region. This particular subset of MHs has observed scale sizes perpendicular to the background magnetic field (B) less than the ambient ion Larmor radius (ρi). Previous observations by Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) indicate that this subset of MHs can be supported by a current driven by the E × B drift of electrons. Ions do not participate in the E × B drift due to the small-scale size of the electric field. While in the BBF braking region, during its commissioning phase, the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft observed a small-scale MH. The electric field observations taken during this event suggest the presence of electron currents perpendicular to the magnetic field. These observations also suggest that these currents can evolve to smaller spatial scales.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	5953-5959
Number of pages	7
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	43
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069157
Publication status	Published - 28 Jun 2016
Externally published	Yes

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Goodrich, K. A., Ergun, R. E., Wilder, F. D., Burch, J., Torbert, R., Khotyaintsev, Y., Lindqvist, P.-A., Russell, C., Strangeway, R., Magnes, W., Gershman, D., Giles, B., Nakamura, R., Stawarz, J., Holmes, J., Sturner, A., & Malaspina, D. M. (2016). MMS Multipoint electric field observations of small-scale magnetic holes. Geophysical Research Letters, 43(12), 5953-5959. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069157

@article{781f257192184c76b5e0a7cdccd6328f,

title = "MMS Multipoint electric field observations of small-scale magnetic holes",

abstract = "Small-scale magnetic holes (MHs), local depletions in magnetic field strength, have been observed multiple times in the Earth's magnetosphere in the bursty bulk flow (BBF) braking region. This particular subset of MHs has observed scale sizes perpendicular to the background magnetic field (B) less than the ambient ion Larmor radius (ρi). Previous observations by Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) indicate that this subset of MHs can be supported by a current driven by the E × B drift of electrons. Ions do not participate in the E × B drift due to the small-scale size of the electric field. While in the BBF braking region, during its commissioning phase, the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft observed a small-scale MH. The electric field observations taken during this event suggest the presence of electron currents perpendicular to the magnetic field. These observations also suggest that these currents can evolve to smaller spatial scales.",

author = "Goodrich, {Katherine A.} and Ergun, {Robert E.} and Wilder, {Frederick D.} and James Burch and Roy Torbert and Yuri Khotyaintsev and Per-Arne Lindqvist and Christopher Russell and Robert Strangeway and Werner Magnes and Daniel Gershman and Barbara Giles and Rumi Nakamura and Julia Stawarz and Justin Holmes and Andrew Sturner and Malaspina, {David M.}",

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Goodrich, KA, Ergun, RE, Wilder, FD, Burch, J, Torbert, R, Khotyaintsev, Y, Lindqvist, P-A, Russell, C, Strangeway, R, Magnes, W, Gershman, D, Giles, B, Nakamura, R, Stawarz, J, Holmes, J, Sturner, A & Malaspina, DM 2016, 'MMS Multipoint electric field observations of small-scale magnetic holes', Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 43, no. 12, pp. 5953-5959. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069157

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T1 - MMS Multipoint electric field observations of small-scale magnetic holes

AU - Goodrich, Katherine A.

AU - Ergun, Robert E.

AU - Wilder, Frederick D.

AU - Burch, James

AU - Torbert, Roy

AU - Khotyaintsev, Yuri

AU - Lindqvist, Per-Arne

AU - Russell, Christopher

AU - Strangeway, Robert

AU - Magnes, Werner

AU - Gershman, Daniel

AU - Giles, Barbara

AU - Nakamura, Rumi

AU - Stawarz, Julia

AU - Holmes, Justin

AU - Sturner, Andrew

AU - Malaspina, David M.

PY - 2016/6/28

Y1 - 2016/6/28

N2 - Small-scale magnetic holes (MHs), local depletions in magnetic field strength, have been observed multiple times in the Earth's magnetosphere in the bursty bulk flow (BBF) braking region. This particular subset of MHs has observed scale sizes perpendicular to the background magnetic field (B) less than the ambient ion Larmor radius (ρi). Previous observations by Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) indicate that this subset of MHs can be supported by a current driven by the E × B drift of electrons. Ions do not participate in the E × B drift due to the small-scale size of the electric field. While in the BBF braking region, during its commissioning phase, the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft observed a small-scale MH. The electric field observations taken during this event suggest the presence of electron currents perpendicular to the magnetic field. These observations also suggest that these currents can evolve to smaller spatial scales.

AB - Small-scale magnetic holes (MHs), local depletions in magnetic field strength, have been observed multiple times in the Earth's magnetosphere in the bursty bulk flow (BBF) braking region. This particular subset of MHs has observed scale sizes perpendicular to the background magnetic field (B) less than the ambient ion Larmor radius (ρi). Previous observations by Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) indicate that this subset of MHs can be supported by a current driven by the E × B drift of electrons. Ions do not participate in the E × B drift due to the small-scale size of the electric field. While in the BBF braking region, during its commissioning phase, the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft observed a small-scale MH. The electric field observations taken during this event suggest the presence of electron currents perpendicular to the magnetic field. These observations also suggest that these currents can evolve to smaller spatial scales.

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VL - 43

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EP - 5959

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

IS - 12

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MMS Multipoint electric field observations of small-scale magnetic holes

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