Onsets and Flapping Studied using a Dynamic Harris Sheet Model M. Connors 1, R. Lerner 1, G. Jaugey 2, B. Lavraud 3, M. Volwerk 4, R. L. McPherron 5 1 Athabasca U., 2 U. Joseph Fourier, 3 LANL, 4 Österreichische Ak. Wissensch., 5 UCLA STAMMS-2 Orleans, France September 2007 Image: Mikko Syrjäsuo

Athabasca University Geophysical Observatory (AUGO) N, E CGM (2005) 62.0, L=4.55 Founded 2002 (UCLA mag 1998) A comprehensive observatory in western Canada ideally located for THEMIS conjunctions (see poster)

Harris model  Magnetic field : where B y =B z =0 and Bo = Blobes  Current density : derived from Plasma sheet - Harris model Plasma sheet : hot plasma  n = 3 cm -3  E th ~ 4200 eV  B ~ 10 nT  β ~ 6  z>0 => Bx>0, z Bx<0 Bo

Method for Harris sheet fitting The Levenberg-Marquardt nonlinear fitting method was used for B X (Z 0,L,B 0 ) during the slow traversal of Cluster through the plasma sheet The Levenberg-Marquardt nonlinear fitting method was used for B X (Z 0,L) with B 0 held constant during flapping Thompson et al. (2005 JGR) used a similar fitting technique

Cluster Plasma sheet crossing September 22 th, 2001 Plasma sheet crossing at ~ 5 UT  B reverse  low |B|  more energized particles  Harris form

Harris fit August 3 rd, 2003 Results  Bo = B(lobes) = 26.8 nT => realistic ( Theory ~30 nT )  Zo = Re => not centred (z axis) => movement of the plasma sheet in the Z direction => flapping  L = 0.63 Re => thickness of the plasma sheet Questions Are the parameters related ? What influences the parameters ? Bo Zo

Flapping study flappingreal crossing Harris flapping study :  fit again using Z separation of the spacecraft rather than the Z motion over time  Bo is known ( Harris crossing study)  Harris fit to find L, Zo  awaited results : L constant and Zo function of time  Flapping affects fits during slow passage of Cluster through plasma sheet BUT, Plasma sheet crossing is too long flapping are very fast => Good Harris study could come from flap fits

Flapping study August 23 rd, 2002 L ~ cst during flapping Zo(t) => velocity of the flapping Vz Results  L ~ 0.89 Re  Zo is a function of time => Vz Questions  Vz same as Cluster data ?  The current is Harris current ? => Vz and J

Flapping study August 23 rd, 2002  Vz (cluster data) > Vz fit  11 UT => +60 km.s -1  Current fit realistic (compared to the data in black) Jfit(blue)  Vy ≈ or > Vz !! => First hypothesis (flap only in Z direction) false  our fit needs some changes !!

Conclusions on Flapping  Our method for the fit gives good results for the plasma sheet thickness, the Zo evolution and also the current.  Nevertheless, our hypothesis of only Z motion of the plasma sheet is false. It’s moving also at least in the Y direction.  We are working to improve our fit assuming that the plasma sheet can be tilted yet planar (3-d Harris fit).  This approach would differ from least-variance methods

Statistical Trends 71 plasma sheet crossings in the public data set were fit The only significant trend was of B 0 vs P L(B 0 ) seemed to show the opposite behaviour than expected, thicker for higher lobe field The lack of relationships is likely due to use of overly long time periods

Pressure Variation B eff is the lobe field as calculated from the measured B and particle data P total also arises from this and shows an influence on B 0

Pressure Statistics The lobe field varies with solar wind pressure (ACE) We did not find other strong dependencies on solar wind parameters

August ca. 8 UT Canada Conjugacy Event

Active Period with good conjugacy to Churchill meridian at onset at 7.9 UT

Ground Pi2 also starts 7.9 UT (MCMU is to west)

Cluster Pi2 starts at 8.1 UT

Features of 21 Aug 2002 event Plasmoid signature in B z at onset time Flow reversal from –X bursts to +X bursts indicating tailward motion of the X-line Flapping after onset Current enhancement at onset Very clear activations of all signatures at onset

B signatures: activation, flapping

Plasmoid: bipolar B Z

Flow direction changes as neutral line moves outward

July : Inference from Flapping Unusual evening Ps6/omega band event recorded by magnetometer and THEMIS test camera at Athabasca Cluster in morning sector; ground data sparse; spacecraft spacing very close Multiple flappings where B X goes to 0 but not beyond

Bifurcated Current Sheet? B x several times went to 0 but not beyond Could bifurcated current sheet be related to Ps 6?

Summary Enhanced facilities in Canada benefit THEMIS and Cluster 1-d Harris fit can be applied for PS crossing or for flapping 3-d Harris fit may be needed and is being worked on Conjugate studies can now be more frequent and with better data

Acknowledgements Canadian Space Agency and University of Alberta for CARISMA data A. Balogh, ICSTM, for Cluster FGM data This work funded by Canada Research Chairs, Canada Foundation for Innovation, AU, and NSERC