Low-frequency waves in magnetic reconnection

The characteristics of low-frequency waves in magnetic reconnection are studied using two-dimensional hybrid simulation code. In a coordinate system moving with fluid,the time series of a magnetic field perpendicular to the magnetic reconnection plane,By, is transformed into the power spectrum via fast Fourier transformation,while the wave propagation direction and polarization are determined by minimum variance analysis of the electric field.The results show that low-frequency Alfvén ion-cyclotron waves dominate the reconnection area.These waves have frequencies 0-1Ωp(where Ωp is the local proton gyro frequency)and all are left-handed circularly polarized.Among these waves,large-amplitude turbulence,with frequencies of 0-0.6Ωp and isotropic propagation,dominates the outflow regions.This can cause the reversal of By in the quadrupole structure.In the inflow regions, dominant waves,propagating mainly parallel to the ambient magnetic field,have higher frequencies and smaller amplitudes.The frequency of the main peak of wave energy is usually higher than 0.5Ωp.

Experimental observation of the transport induced by ion Bernstein waves near the separatrix of magnetic nulls

The waves in a magnetic null could play important roles during 3D magnetic reconnection.Some preliminary clues in this paper show that the ion Bernstein wave(IBW)may be closely related to transport process in magnetic null region.The magnetic null configuration experiment reported here is set up in a linear helicon plasma device,Peking University plasma test device(PPT).The wave modes with frequencies between the first and third harmonics of local ion cyclotron frequency(w_(ci))are observed in the separatrix of magnetic null,which are identified as the IBW based on the dispersion relation.Further analysis shows that IBW could drive substantial particle flux across the magnetic separatrix.The theoretical radial particle flux driven by IBW and the measured parallel flow in PPT device are almost on the same order,which shows that IBW may play an important role during 3D reconnection process.

Second-Order Resonant Interaction of Ring Current Protons with Whistler-Mode Waves

We present a study on the second-order resonant interaction between the ring current protons with Whistler-mode waves propagating near the quasi electrostatic limit following the previous second-order resonant theory. The diffusion coefficients are proportional to the electric field amplitude E, much greater than those for the regular first-order resonance, which are proportional to the electric field amplitudes square E^2. Numerical calculations for the pitch angle scattering are performed for typical energies of protons Ek = 50 keV and 100 keV at locations L = 2 and L = 3.5. The timescale for the loss process of protons by the Whistler waves is found to approach one hour, comparable to that by the EMIC waves, suggesting that Whistler waves may also contribute significantly to the ring current decay under appropriate conditions.

Contribution of patchy reconnection to the ion-to-electron temperature ratio in the Earth’s magnetotail

The ion-to-electron temperature ratio is a good indicator of the processes involved in the plasma sheet.Observations have suggested that patchy reconnection and the resulting earthward bursty bulk flows(BBFs)transport may be involved in causing the lower temperature ratios at smaller radial distances during southward IMF periods.In this paper,we estimate theoretically how a patchy magnetic reconnection electric field can accelerate ions and electrons differently.If both ions and electrons are non-adiabatically accelerated only once within each reconnection,the temperature ratio would be preserved.However,when reconnection occurs closer to the Earth where magnetic field lines are shorter,particles mirrored back from the ionosphere can cross the reconnection region more than once within one reconnection;and electrons,moving faster than ions,can have more crossings than do ions,leading to electrons being accelerated more than ions.Thus as particles are transported from tail to the near-Earth by BBFs through multiple reconnection,electrons should be accelerated by the reconnection electric field more times than are ions,which can explain the lower temperature ratios observed closer to the Earth.

磁重联区Alfven波及新生离子的加速

利用二维混合数值模拟研究了有速度驱动、低等离子体β值情况下的磁场重联过程，结果表明磁重联过程可以产生Ａｌｆｖｅｎ波，该Ａｌｆｖｅｎ波动对重联区中的新生离子作用，使得新生离子经历投掷角散射过程，具有球壳分布特征，部分新生离子得到加速，其获得的最大能量约为４（ｍｉＶ２Ａ０／２），此加速过程所需的加速时间在１００／Ωｉ量级，是一个极快的加速机制，加速粒子能谱为双幂律谱．

Excitation of Whistler-Mode （Chorus） Emissions during Terrestrial Substorms

The enhanced growth rate of whistler mode waves has been evaluated during an injection event associated with an isolated terrestrial substorm that occurred at 23：00 UT, on January 21, 1991. The electron phase space density observed by an LEPA instrument on the board of the CRRES spacecraft is modelled by using a bi-loss-cone distribution function （composed of a high anisotropic component and a quasi-isotropic component）. During the injection event, the path integrated gain may increase by a factor of 5 over a frequency range near a few tenths of the electron gyrofrequency, which is consistent with the enhancement observed in the CRRES plasma wave experiment （PWE） emissions. Scattering of electrons by the enhanced whistler mode waves causes the pitch angle distribution of resonant electrons to a quasi isotropic （fiat-top） distribution during the terrestrial substorm injection event.

Magnetotail dipolarization fronts and particle acceleration:A review

In this paper, the particle acceleration processes around magnetotail dipolarization fronts(DFs) were reviewed. We summarize the spacecraft observations(including Cluster, THEMIS, MMS) and numerical simulations(including MHD, testparticle, hybrid, LSK, PIC) of these processes. Specifically, we(1) introduce the properties of DFs at MHD scale, ion scale, and electron scale,(2) review the properties of suprathermal electrons with particular focus on the pitch-angle distributions,(3)define the particle-acceleration process and distinguish it from the particle-heating process,(4) identify the particle-acceleration process from spacecraft measurements of energy fluxes, and(5) quantify the acceleration efficiency and compare it with other processes in the magnetosphere(e.g., magnetic reconnection and radiation-belt acceleration processes). We focus on both the acceleration of electrons and ions(including light ions and heavy ions). Regarding electron acceleration, we introduce Fermi,betatron, and non-adiabatic acceleration mechanisms;regarding ion acceleration, we present Fermi, betatron, reflection, resonance, and non-adiabatic acceleration mechanisms. We also discuss the unsolved problems and open questions relevant to this topic, and suggest directions for future studies.

ESW在磁尾磁场重联耗散区分形线附近的观测特性及其作用

磁场重联是空间能量释放和转换的重要机制.静电孤立波(ESW)虽然在空间中有广泛观测,但在磁场重联附近少有直接观测,对它在磁场重联附近的特性了解甚少.通过Geotail卫星对一个磁场重联事件的观测,仔细分析了其边界层上观测到的静电孤立波的特性,并讨论了它对磁场重联的影响.研究表明,亚暴期间在磁尾发生磁场重联,重联区域的分形线附近观测到了大量的静电孤立波,其特性与在其他地方观测到的并没有显著差别,但具有更明显的非线性和孤立性的特征.它们对电子加速和能量耗散有促进作用,加速磁场重联的进程.

Observations of the step-like accelerating processes of cold ions in the reconnection layer at the dayside magnetopause

Cold ions of plasmaspheric origin have been observed to abundantly appear in the magnetospheric side of the Earth's magnetopause. These cold ions could affect the magnetic reconnection processes at the magnetopause by changing the Alfvén velocity and the reconnection rate, while they could also be heated in the reconnection layer during the ongoing reconnections. We report in situ observations from a partially crossing of a reconnection layer near the subsolar magnetopause. During this crossing, step-like accelerating processes of the cold ions were clearly observed, suggesting that the inflow cold ions may be separately accelerated by the rotation discontinuity and slow shock inside the reconnection layer.

太阳风的阿尔文波驱动模型和重离子的加热与加速

阿尔文波串级模型最近被推广到多离子成份等离子体，成功地解释了太阳附近重离子的优势加热和加速的观测结果，这为太阳风高速流的波驱动模型注入了新的活力．本文简述阿尔文波驱动模型的发展过程和在解释太阳风重离子的优势加热与加速方面的最新进展，并就该模型存在的某些尚待解决的问题作出评述．

色球和冕层加热机制

简要回顾了近年来恒星色球和恒星冕层加热机制研究的一些重要成果和进展。恒星高层大气具有多种加热方式,在非磁区域和磁性区域的加热机制有所不同。主要讨论了稳定的恒星色球和冕层加热机制,包括传统的非磁区域的声波加热,磁性作用下的快慢磁声波加热,阿尔芬波加热,磁重联加热以及费米加热等。