fractal reconnection at the earth’s magnetopause and associated ionospheric convection. gary abel,...
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Fractal reconnection at the Earth’s magnetopause and associated
ionospheric convection.
Gary Abel, Iain Coleman, Mervyn Freeman and Gareth Chisham
British Antarctic Survey
MRT Workshop 9th -10th August 2004
A quote from the classic Dungey [1961] paper
“A steady laminar flow will be assumed here for simplicity, but it should be noted that large variations of the field were detected by Pioneer I” … “The connection between the neutral points (reconnection) and the auroras (convection) is obvious in this model, but it remains to study … the effect of turbulence.” Dungey [PRL 1961].
• We commonly model dayside reconnection in terms of a uniform IMF phase front draped across the magnetopause by a laminar hydrodynamic flow.
• Such models naturally give rise to large-scale, spatially coherent reconnection structures on the magnetopause and in ionospheric convection.
• The draped IMF is in reality highly disordered, and not well described by laminar models.
• What is the implication of this at the magnetopause and in the ionosphere?
Introduction
Antiparallel Reconnection with Perfect Draping
The clock angle of the magnetosheath B-field is everywhere equal to the upstream IMF clock angle of 135°. The antiparallel reconnection regions
are shown in black
Fractal anti-parallel reconnection
• Magnetosheath is noisy• Difference between upstream measured clock angle and sheath
clock angle has standard deviation of around 40º
But!!!
Fractal anti-parallel reconnection
Perfect Draping White (gaussian) Noise Draping
• Adding significant amounts of gaussian noise breaks down the structure of the reconnection regions.
• This is because gaussian noise is spatially uncorrelated.
• It may be more reasonable to model the “noisy” part of noisy draping as fractal turbulence, rather than gaussian white noise.
• In the following slides, a random fractal of power spectrum –5/3 is added to the magnetosheath field, such that the standard deviation of the clock angle is similar to that in the gaussian case.
The Trouble with Gaussian Noise
Fractal anti-parallel reconnection
Perfect Draping Red Noise Draping
Gaussian (White) Noise
Fractal Noise
Time Series of Reconnection Sites with Fractal Turbulence
• Fractal turbulence is correlated on large spatial scales.
• Thus, it preserves the antiparallel reconnection structures of the laminar model to far greater extent than gaussian noise can manage.
• However, further structure is introduced to magnetopause reconnection sites.
• Is this structure reflected in ionospheric convection?
The Importance of Fractal Turbulence
Investigate spatial structuring of ionospheric flows using structure function analysis
• Structure function analysis using SuperDARN radar.
• Radar measure LOS component of convection velocity.
• Use Halley meridional beam – ranges 10 to 65.
• 1997 – 2001.
• Calculate <|v(r+l)-vr|m>, m=1,2,3, l=1,2,… 55
• Precondition data so we only include fluctuations of ±1
Poleward of Open/Closed Field Line Boundary -
Nightside
Slope = 0.81
Slope = 0.57
Slope = 0.30
)(P ss lvl
Summary and Conclusions
• M-I system is a complex system driven by a complex driver.
• In order to fully understand the system we must understand the fractal nature.
• Our simple model suggests that a fractal solar wind can give rise to structured reconnection on the magnetopause while maintaining spatially large scale features.
• Observations in the ionosphere show the fluctuations in convection velocity are consistent with such a model.
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