Dipolarization and turbulence in the plasma sheet during a substorm: THEMIS observations and global MHD simulations

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dc.contributor.authorEl-Alaoui, Mostafa
dc.contributor.authorRichard, Robert L.
dc.contributor.authorAshour-Abdalla, Maha
dc.contributor.authorGoldstein, Melvyn
dc.contributor.authorWalker, Raymond J.
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-22T19:00:55Z
dc.date.available2023-11-22T19:00:55Z
dc.date.issued2013-12-09
dc.description.abstractSpacecraft in the magnetotail have observed fluctuations in velocity and magnetic field that have the characteristics of fluid turbulence. We investigated the properties of these fluctuations during a substorm on 7 February 2009. During this event several spacecraft were observing the magnetotail. By using upstream observations performed by Wind, we conducted a global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of the substorm. The simulation results were compared to time series of Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) observations in the magnetotail, and it performed well as the spacecraft encountered dipolarizations and strong flows. Further, the power spectral densities and probability distribution functions observed in the magnetotail by THEMIS and in the MHD simulations were similar. Notable features of the event include a large dipolarization growing by accreting smaller earthward moving dipolarization fronts. The dipolarizations were associated with a strong channel of earthward flow and a large vortex. In the MHD simulation results, which are supported by the observations, strong narrow flow channels are a clear and persistent feature of magnetotail convection which exist at the driving scales for the turbulent spectra.
dc.description.sponsorshipThis research was supported by NASA grants NNX10AQ47G and NNX08AO48G to UCLA. It was further supported by a grant to the Goddard Space Flight Center by the Magnetospheric Multiscale project Interdisciplinary Scientist program. R.J. Walker's contribution was made as part of his Individual Research and Development while he was at the National Science Foundation. We acknowledge NASA contracts NAS5-02099 and V. Angelopoulos for use of data from the THEMIS Mission. We further acknowledge C.W. Carlson and J.P. McFadden (ESA data), and K.H. Glassmeier, U. Auster, and W. Baumjohann (FGM data) for THEMIS observations. The MHD computations were performed by using the Gordon supercomputer at San Diego, part of the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE). This program is supported by grant OCI-1053575 from the National Science Foundation.
dc.description.urihttps://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2013JA019322
dc.format.extent10 pages
dc.genrejournal articles
dc.identifier.citationEl-Alaoui, M., Richard, R. L., Ashour-Abdalla, M., Goldstein, M. L., and Walker, R. J. (2013), Dipolarization and turbulence in the plasma sheet during a substorm: THEMIS observations and global MHD simulations, J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics, 118, 7752–7761, doi:10.1002/2013JA019322.
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1002/2013JA019322
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/30848
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherAGU
dc.relation.isAvailableAtThe University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Goddard Planetary Heliophysics Institute (GPHI)
dc.rightsThis work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
dc.rightsPublic Domain Mark 1.0 en
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
dc.titleDipolarization and turbulence in the plasma sheet during a substorm: THEMIS observations and global MHD simulations
dc.typeText
dcterms.creatorhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5317-988X

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