The substorm current wedge and midnight sector partial ring current near substorm onset: A synthesis based on a magnetotail magnetic field geometry model

The Substorm Current Wedge （SCW） occurrence in the late growth and onset phases of substorms was proposed as the current system which disrupts cross-tail current by diverting it to the ionosphere. The closure current for the SCW originally was suggested to be the strong westward auroral electrojet （WEJ）. However, the SCW-WEJ system has no viable generator current. Similarly, the asymmetric or Partial Ring Current （PRC） increases in strength during the growth phase, and is sometimes associated with an enhanced Region 2 field-aligned current （FAC） closing to the ionosphere, but specifics of that closure have been lacking. Here we present a tmifying picture which includes the SCW post- and pre-midnight （AM and PM, respectively） currents and a generator current in the midnight portion of the PRC system, with these currents based upon a model of the nightside magnetotail magnetic geometry. That geometry consists of open north and south lobe regions surrounding a plasmasheet with two types of closed field line regions-stretched lines in the central part of the plasmasheet （SPS） and dipolar lines （DPS） between the low lati- tude boundary layer （LLBL） regions and the SPS. There is also an important plasmasheet transition region （TPS） in which the dipolar field near the plasmapause gradually transforms to stretched lines near the earthward edge of the SPS, and in which the midnight part of the PRC flows. We propose that our proposed near-onset current system consists of a central current which be- comes part of the midnight sector PRC and which is the generator, to which are linked two three-part current systems, one on the dawnside and one on the duskside. The three-part systems consist of up and down FACs closing as Pedersen currents in the iono- sphere. These 3-part systems are not activated until near-onset is reached, because of a lack of ionospheric conductivity in the appropriate locations where the Pedersen current closure occurs. The initial downward FAC of the 3-part dawnside system and the final upward FAC of the 3-part duskside system correspond to the AM and PM current segments, respectively, of the originally proposed SCW.

Observation evidence for the entropy switch model of substorm onset

The cause of substorm onset is not yet understood. Chen CX(2016) proposed an entropy switch model, in which substorm onset results from the development of interchange instability. In this study, we sought observational evidence for this model by using Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms(THEMIS) data. We examined two events, one with and the other without a streamer before substorm onset. In contrast to the stable magnetosphere, where the total magnetic field strength is a decreasing function and entropy is an increasing function of the downtail distance, in both events the total magnetic field strength and entropy were reversed before substorm onset. After onset, the total magnetic field strength, entropy, and other plasma quantities fluctuated. In addition, a statistical study was performed. By confining the events with THEMIS satellites located in the downtail region between ~8 and ~12 Earth radii, and 3 hours before and after midnight, we found the occurrence rate of the total magnetic field strength reversal to be 69% and the occurrence rate of entropy reversal to be 77% of the total 205 events.

Characteristics of magnetic dipolarizations in the vicinity of the substorm onset region observed by THEMIS

With conjunction observations of electromagnetic fields and plasma from Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorm(THEMIS)in the near-Earth magnetotail,we investigate the spatial and temporal properties of substorm dipolarizations in the near-Earth plasma sheet(NEPS)during a substorm at 03:23 UT on 12 February 2008.Substorm dipolarizations with different features are detected by three near-Earth THEMIS probes(THA(P5),THD(P3)and THE(P4))in the magnetotail.In the current sheet with a large plasma beta value(β>2,whereβis the ratio of the plasma thermal pressure to the magnetic pressure),the dipolarization within the substorm onset region,(−10.4,2.8,−2.6)RE_gsm,has a large initial magnetic field elevation angle,θ>60°,θ=arctan(Bz/(Bx2+By2)1/2),and is accompanied by energetic ion(tens to hundred keV)dispersionless injection detected by THD(P3).This substorm onset dipolarization is characterized by Bx and By components around 0 nT with significant fluctuations.The Bz component increases sharply and its subsequent magnitude approaches the total magnetic field,Bt.The maximum value of the elevation angle approaches 85°during the later substorm expansion phase.In the NEPS withβ~1,the dipolarization outside the substorm onset region is characterized by a magnetic elevation angle with a small beginning value ofθ<45°and following multi-step enhancements during the substorm expansion phase.The maximum value of the elevation angle approaches to 70°during the later substorm expansion phase.Our observation results indicate that characteristics of dipolarization with a large beginning elevation angle within the substorm onset region provide a new indicator to identify substorm onset location.

Correlations between plasmapause evolutions and auroral signatures during substorms observed by Chang'e-3 EUV Camera

The plasmapause locations determined from the Chang'e-3(CE-3) Extreme Ultraviolet Camera(EUVC) images and the auroral boundaries determined from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program(DMSP) Special Sensor Ultraviolet Spectrographic Imager(SSUSI) images are used to investigate the plasmaspheric evolutions during substorms. The most important finding is a nightside pointing plasmaspheric plume observed at 23:05 UT on 21 April 2014 under quiet solar wind and geomagnetic conditions, which drifted from the dusk sector. High correlations between the plasmapause evolutions and the auroral signatures exist during substorms. After substorm onset, the plasmapause erosion and the equatorward expansion of the auroral oval occur almost simultaneously in both MLT and UT, and then both the erosion and the expansion propagate westward and eastward. It is suggested that the plasmaspheric erosion and its MLT propagations are induced by the enhanced earthward plasma convection during substorm period, and the substorm dipolarization causes pitch-angle scattering of plasma sheet electrons and the resulting precipitation excites aurora emissions at the same time.

Exohiss wave enhancement following substorm electron injection in the dayside magnetosphere

Exohiss is a low-frequency structureless whistler-mode emission potentially contributing to the precipitation loss of radiation belt electrons outside the plasmasphere. Exohiss is usually considered the plasmaspheric hiss leaked out of the dayside plasmapause.However, the evolution of exohiss after the leakage has not been fully understood. Here we report the prompt enhancements of exohiss waves following substorm injections observed by Van Allen Probes. Within several minutes, the energetic electron fluxes around 100 keV were enhanced by up to 5 times, accompanied by an up to 10-time increase of the exohiss wave power. These substorm-injected electrons are shown to produce a new peak of linear growth rate in the exohiss band(< 0.1 f_(ce)). The corresponding path-integrated growth rate of wave power within 10° latitude of the magnetic equatorial plane can reach 13.4, approximately explaining the observed enhancement of exohiss waves. These observations and simulations suggest that the substorm-injected energetic electrons could amplify the preexisting exohiss waves.

Understanding Substorms in the Magnetotail：Early Development and Recent Progress

This is a concise review of physics of the substorm in the magnetotail.It consists of two parts. The first part summarizes historical developments in the early days of the space age(1960-1975)when the basic concepts such as magnetotail and reconnection were established and the leading model of the substorm was introduced.The second part is an overview of the research conducted in recent years(1995-2010)when very significant advances have been achieved in understanding the substorm physics by virtue of several major satellites missions that addressed the magnetotail physics intensively.

Theories and Simulations in Substorm Research:A Review

Both theory and simulation have played important roles in defining and illuminating the key mechanisms involved in substorms.Basic theories of magnetic reconnection and of interchange and ballooning instabilities were developed more than 50 years ago,and these plasma physical concepts have been central in discussions of substorm physics.A vast amount of research on reconnection,including both theoretical and computational studies,has helped provide a picture of how reconnection operates in the collisionless environment of the magnetosphere.Still,however,we do not fully understand how key microscale processes and large-scale dynamics work together to determine the location and rate of reconnection.While in the last twenty years,it has become clear that interchange processes are important for transporting plasma through the plasma sheet in the form of bursty bulk flows and substorm expansions,we still have not reached the point where simulations are able to realistically and defensibly represent all of the important aspects of the phenomenon.More than two decades ago it was suggested that the ballooning instability,the basic theory for which dates from the 1950s,may play an important role in substorms.Now the majority of experts agree that regions of the plasma sheet are often linearly unstable to ideal-MHD ballooning.However,it is also clear that kinetic effects introduce important modifications to the MHD stability criterion.It is still uncertain whether ballooning plays a leading role in substorms or has just a minor part.Among the different types of simulations that have been applied to the substorm problem,global MHD codes are unique in that,in a sense, they represent the entire global substorm phenomenon,including coupling to the solar wind and ionosphere, and the important mechanisms of reconnection,interchange,and ballooning.However,they have not yet progressed to the point where they can accurately represent the whole phenomenon,because grid-resolution problems limit the accuracy with which they can solve the equations of ideal MHD and the couphng to the ionosphere,and they cannot accurately represent small-scale processes that violate ideal MHD.

Statistical study on interplanetary drivers behind intense geomagnetic storms and substorms

Geomagnetic storms and substorms play a central role in both the daily life of mankind and in academic space physics.The profiles of storms,especially their initial phase morphology and the intensity of their substorms under different interplanetary conditions,have usually been ignored in previous studies.In this study,97 intense geomagnetic storms(Dstmin≤–100 nT)between 1998 and 2018 were studied statistically using the double superposed epoch analysis(DSEA)and normalized superposed epoch analysis(NSEA)methods.These storms are categorized into two types according to different interplanetary magnetic field(IMF)Bz orientations:geomagnetic storms whose IMF is northward,both upstream and downstream relative to the interplanetary shock,and geomagnetic storms whose upstream and downstream IMF is consistently southward.We further divide these two types into two subsets,by different geomagnetic storm profiles:Type Ⅰ/Type Ⅱ—one/two-step geomagnetic storms with northward IMF both upstream and downstream of the interplanetary shock;Type Ⅲ/TypeⅣ—one/two-step geomagnetic storms with southward IMF both upstream and downstream of the interplanetary shock.The results show that:(1)geomagnetic storms with northward IMF both upstream and downstream of the interplanetary shock have a clear initial phase;geomagnetic storms with southward IMF in both upstream and downstream of the interplanetary shock do not;(2)the IMF is an important controlling factor in affecting the intensity characteristics of substorms.When Bz is positive before and after the interplanetary shock arrival,the Auroral Electrojet(AE)index changes gently during the initial phase of geomagnetic storms,the median value of AE index is maintained at 500–1000 nT;(3)when Bz is negative before and after the interplanetary shock arrival,the AE index rises rapidly and reaches its maxmum value about one hour after storm sudden commencements(SSC),although the time is scaled between reference points and the maximum value of AE is usually greater than 1,000 nT,representing intense substorms;(4)for most cases,the Dst0 usually reaches its minimum at least one hour after Bz.These results are useful in improving contemporary space weather models,especially for those that address geomagnetic storms and substorms.

Analysis of Characteristic of Aurora Substorm Observed at Antarctic Zhongshan Station

The characteristics of a strong aurora substorm observed at Antarctic Zhongshan station (magnetic latitude=74.5°) on 8 April, 1999, were discussed and analyzed. The developing steps of the aurora substorm that happened in dusk time were almost the same with that of midnight aurora substorm. The averaged moving speed of the aurora arc toward pole area during the substorm expansion phase was about 3.0 km/s, westward-traveling surge speed was about 2.0 km/s. The extension from south to north in the substorm can cover 1100 km in distance.

On principal factors in substorm models

This paper gives a brief account of substorm modeling with different key elements or factors. The progress of our understanding of substorms consists of three chief stages during this century. Nine previous substorm models are briefly recapitulated, and then a recent two neutral-points model by Prof. C.T. Russell is introduced. In order to test or to strengthen this new model, several correlated examples of meaningful data are duly given in this short paper.

GLOBAL SUBSTORM PROCESSES IN GEOSPACE AND FRONTIERS IN SUBSTORM RESEARCH

This paper discusses the problems we confront in the study of magnetospheric substorms. This includes the global processes of magnetospheric substorms, the origin of the southern-northern component of interplanetary magnetic field, quantitative effects of the interplanetary conditions, driving processes of the solar wind, location of the triggering of the expansion phase, and relationship between magnetospheric storms and substorms. Moreover, the research directions in the future have also been discussed.

Observations of Magnetic Reconnection in the Magnetotail Associated With Substorms

Magnetic reconnection is one of the most important,dynamic phenomena in the magnetotail in terms of magnetic field line configuration change and energy release.It is believed to occur in the distant magnetotail mainly during southward interplanetary magnetic field periods and in the near-Earth magnetotail in association with substorms.In the present paper,we discuss several important issues concerning magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail associated with substorms,such as reconnection signatures,location,timing,spatial scale,and behavior,from the macroscopic,observational point of view.

Auroral Electrojet Event Associated With Magnetospheric Substorms

The auroral electrojet index is an important index in monitoring and predicting substorms.A substorms usually includes auroral breakup,auroral electrojet event marked by AE increase,energetic particle injection at geosynchronous orbit,mid-low latitude Pi2,etc.However the question whether an auroral electrojet event corresponds to a substorms remains unanswered.Using the auroral electrojet index in 2004,we analyzed five auroral electrojet events and studied their relation with substorms.The results show that there are three kinds of auroral electrojet events:(1) simultaneous rapid increase of westward auroral electrojet and eastward auroral electrojet;(2) rapid increase of westward auroral electrojet and almost unchangeable eastward auroral electrojet;(3) rapid increase of eastward auroral electrojet and almost unchangeable westward auroral electrojet.Most of auroral electrojet events correspond to substorms.However a few auroral electrojet events are not accompanied by substorms.This situation most often occurs for the auroral electrojet event in which eastward auroral electrojet dominates.

Effect of interplanetary shock on an ongoing substorm:Simultaneous satellite-ground auroral observations

Substorm processes have been studied in detail,and it is well known that interplanetary(IP)shock encountering the terrestrial magnetosphere causes global responses.However,how IP shock compression to the magnetosphere affects the development of an ongoing substorm remains uninvestigated.Herein,the simultaneous satellite and ground-based auroral evolutions associated with an IP shock impact on the magnetopause during an ongoing substorm on May 7th,2005,were examined.The IMAGE satellite over the Southern Hemisphere captured the global development substorm,which was initiated at 17:38:47 UT.The poleward branch of the nightside auroral oval was fortuitously monitored by an all-sky camera at the Zhongshan Station(-74.5°magnetic latitude,ZHO)in Antarctica.The satellite imager observed continuous brightening and broadening of the nightside auroral oval after the IP shock arrival.The simultaneous ground-based optical aurora measurement displayed the intensification and expansion of a preexisting auroral surge poleward of the aurora oval.The geomagnetic field variations and the instantly increased PC indices indicated an elevated merging rate and enhanced the convection-related DP-2 currents.Therefore,this IP shock transient impact did not significantly change the ongoing development of the substorm,although it meets the magnetospheric precondition hypothesis.

基于双层聚类信息的极光亚暴自动检测

极光亚暴与太阳风和地球磁场的耦合过程有着紧密的联系,对其发生和发展机制的研究,有助于深入地分析行星际磁场、地球磁层和地球电离层的相互作用,了解太阳风携带的大量能量在地球空间的输运过程,对地球空间环境预警具有重要的意义。Polar卫星搭载的紫外极光图像成像仪能够全天候地获取紫外极光图像,在紫外极光图像中可以完整地展示出极区极光的亮度和尺度变化,尤其是可以清晰地展示出亚暴膨胀相的极光点亮和亮斑膨胀现象。现有的极光亚暴事件检测方法通常需要人工设计特征和相关规则库,耗时耗力。本文利用紫外极光图像提出了基于双层聚类信息的亚暴事件检测方法,实现了紫外极光图像数据中的亚暴事件自动检测。同时,针对极光亚暴事件检测依赖手工设计特征,设计了子空间聚类指导的三维卷积特征自动提取网络;针对极光图像帧间存在成像角度差异,利用地磁纬度和磁地方时信息对极光序列中图像的空间位置进行校正;针对卫星成像位置变化导致的成像噪声,利用极光图像级聚类保留极光亮斑区域和剔除未成像或噪声区域。主观和客观实验结果表明,本算法提升了亚暴事件检测的查全率。

极盖区等离子体云块触发的极向边界点亮事件的观测研究

极盖区等离子体云块是电子密度比背景高出2倍及以上的高密度不均匀体,极向边界点亮是夜侧极光卵极向边界亮度显著增强的极光结构。探究极盖区等离子体云块与极向边界点亮现象的形成和演化以及二者之间的关系对理解极区电离层-磁层耦合具有重要意义。本文基于北极黄河站全天空极光成像仪、欧洲非相干散射雷达(EISCAT)、SuperDARN雷达和GPS TEC等多手段观测数据,揭示极盖区等离子体云块运动到夜侧极光卵极向边界,进而触发极向边界点亮的完整过程。研究结果表明,(1)高密度等离子体云块从极盖区运动到夜侧极光卵极向边界时,极向边界附近的极光强度明显增加,即出现了极向边界点亮现象。(2)极光亚暴发生后,极光卵极向膨胀,极向边界到达EISCAT Svalbard 42 m雷达观测视野。该雷达观测到了高密度、高电子和离子温度的结构,并伴随着电子密度峰值高度下降和离子上行等现象,这与高密度等离子体云块的输运和当地的极光粒子沉降密切相关。(3)从日侧向夜侧输运的等离子体云块到达夜侧极光卵极向边界附近时可能触发极向边界点亮,并且影响等离子体云块和极光粒子沉降接触区域的等离子体特征,这有助于加深我们对夜侧极区电离层-磁层耦合过程的理解。

pTC-1 observation of ion high-speed flow reversal in the near-Earth plasma sheet during substorm

Based on measurements of FGM and HIA on board TC-1 at its apogee on Septem-ber 14, 2004, we analyzed the ion high-speed flows in the near-Earth plasma sheet observed during the substorm expansion phase. Strong tailward high-speed flows (Vx ～ -350 km/s) were first seen at about X ～ -13.2 RE in near-Earth magnetotail, one minute later the flows reversed from tailward to earthward. The reversal process occurred quickly after the substorm expansion onset. The near-Earth magnetotail plasma sheet was one of key regions for substorm onset. Our analysis showed that the ion flow reversal from tailward to earthward was likely to be in close relation with the substorm expansion initiation and might play an important role in trigger-ing the substorm expansion onset.

Auroral substorm response to solar wind pressure shock

Two cases of auroral substorms have been studied with the Polar UVI data, which were associated with solar wind pressure shock arriving at the Earth. The global aurora activities started about 1-2 min after pressure shocks arrived at dayside magnetopause, then nightside auroras intensified rapidly 3-4 min later, with auroral sub-storm onset. The observations in synchronous orbit indicated that the compressing effects on magnetosphere were observed in their corresponding sites about 2 min after the pressure shocks impulse magnetopause. We propose that the auroral intensification and substorm onset possibly result from hydromagnetic wave produced by the pressure shock. The fast-mode wave propagates across the magnetotail lobes with higher local Alfven velocity, magnetotail was compressed rapidly and strong lobe field and cross-tail current were built in about 1-2 min, and furthermore the substorm was triggered due to an instability in current sheet.

The mid-high latitude whistler mode chorus waves observed around substorm onsets

Using the data of LFEW/TC-2, we studied the dawn side chorus around substorm onsets during a strong geomagnetic storm in November 2004. During this storm, LFEW/TC-2 observed 14 dawnside chorus events. Nine of them were associated with substorms and occurred within 40 min around the substorm onsets. The fre-quencies of waves have a very good correlation with the half equatorial electron cyclotron frequencies. Chorus can be excited in the region near magnetic equato-rial plane and then propagate to the mid and high latitudes. When the wave fre-quencies reach the local lower hybrid frequencies, chorus can be reflected due to the lower hybrid resonance. The time delay between the chorus and its echo is about 28 min. Previous observations show that the chorus can propagate at most to the magnetic latitudes of 40°. LFEW/ TC-2 found for the first time that the chorus in space could propagate to the magnetic latitude of 70°. Since most of the previous chorus observations are made close to the magnetic equatorial plane, our results are important for the studies of excitation and propagation of whistler mode wave, and relevant relativistic electron acceleration in the magnetosphere.

The radial evolution of earthward BBFs during substorm

We here study the occurrence rate,probability function of velocity and duration of earthward bursty bulk flows(BBFs) in the Inner Plasma Sheet(IPS,β】0.5) using the data of Cluster in 2001 and 2002.The occurrence rate of earthward BBFs increases with distance from the Earth up to ?19 RE,which is in agreement with the previous observations of the radial evolution of BBFs.About 54% of earthward BBFs in expansion phase have a velocity larger than 600 km/s,whereas only 38% of earthward BBFs in growth and recovery phases have a velocity larger than 600 km/s.The average velocity of earthward BBFs in expansion phase is 732 km/s,larger than those in growth phase(631 km/s) and recovery phase(617 km/s).The durations of earthward BBFs decrease with the decrease of downtail distance from Earth due to the braking of earthward BBFs.The duration of earthward BBFs in expansion phase is larger than that in growth and recovery phases.The average durations in growth,expansion,and recovery phases are respectively 49.3,71.5,and 47.6 s.Therefore,the ratios of transports of energy of earthward BBFs in growth,expansion,and recovery phases can be estimated to be 0.51:1:0.47.Thus,the earthward BBFs in the expansion phase have the largest capability of the transport of energy and can produce the largest braking effects,such as inertial currents and auroral activities.