Multi-Satellite Investigation of Plasma Sheet Flux Rope Formation and Dynamics

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

This project will investigate the formation and evolution of magnetic flux ropes in Earth's magnetotail. It will address four main questions: (1) Are flux ropes formed by simultaneous magnetic reconnection at multiple x-lines and if so what determines the number of reconnection sites? (2) How do flux ropes in the plasma sheet evolve with time? Do smaller ropes coalesce to form larger ones? Or can internal x-lines form inside a large flux rope to generate smaller, secondary ropes? (3) Is there a connection between the onset of the formation of a flux rope and the onset of a magnetic substorm? (4) Does the location of the near-Earth neutral line vary and if so what controls it? A significant part of the data analysis will be done using a new data mining tool. This part of the project will be done as a subaward to the developer of the data mining tool. The data mining tool will be used to automate the detection of flux ropes. The detailed structure and evolution of selected events will be done using a Grad-Shafranov reconstruction -- a 2-D analysis technique that assumes the axis of the flux rope is an axis of symmetry. Most of the research for this project will be carried out by an early-career woman scientist. She will also be interacting with space scientists at the University of Michigan and at the University of Leicester in the UK. An innovative data mining technique will be used to construct a large database of flux rope events which will be made available to the space science community.