Study of Aerosol Direct and Indirect Effects and Auto-conversion Processes over the West African Monsoon Region Using a Regional Climate Model

This study assesses the direct and indirect effects of natural and anthropogenic aerosols （e.g., black carbon and sulfate） over West and Central Africa during the West African monsoon （WAM） period （June-July-August）. We investigate the impacts of aerosols on the amount of cloudiness, the influences on the precipitation efficiency of clouds, and the associated radiative forcing （direct and indirect）. Our study includes the implementation of three new formulations of auto-conversion parameterization [namely, the Beheng （BH）, Tripoli and Cotton （TC） and Liu and Daum （R6） schemes] in RegCM4.4.1, besides the default model＇s auto-conversion scheme （Kessler）. Among the new schemes, BH reduces the precipitation wet bias by more than 50% over West Africa and achieves a bias reduction of around 25% over Central Africa. Results from detailed sensitivity experiments suggest a significant path forward in terms of addressing the long-standing issue of the characteristic wet bias in RegCM. In terms of aerosol-induced radiative forcing, the impact of the various schemes is found to vary considerably （ranging from -5 to -25 W m-2）.

Evaluating the Impacts of Cloud Microphysical and Overlap Parameters on Simulated Clouds in Global Climate Models

The improvement of the accuracy of simulated cloud-related variables,such as the cloud fraction,in global climate models(GCMs)is still a challenging problem in climate modeling.In this study,the influence of cloud microphysics schemes(one-moment versus two-moment schemes)and cloud overlap methods(observation-based versus a fixed vertical decorrelation length)on the simulated cloud fraction was assessed in the BCC_AGCM2.0_CUACE/Aero.Compared with the fixed decorrelation length method,the observation-based approach produced a significantly improved cloud fraction both globally and for four representative regions.The utilization of a two-moment cloud microphysics scheme,on the other hand,notably improved the simulated cloud fraction compared with the one-moment scheme;specifically,the relative bias in the global mean total cloud fraction decreased by 42.9%–84.8%.Furthermore,the total cloud fraction bias decreased by 6.6%in the boreal winter(DJF)and 1.64%in the boreal summer(JJA).Cloud radiative forcing globally and in the four regions improved by 0.3%−1.2% and 0.2%−2.0%,respectively.Thus,our results showed that the interaction between clouds and climate through microphysical and radiation processes is a key contributor to simulation uncertainty.

Statistical properties of kinetic-scale magnetic holes in terrestrial space

Kinetic-scale magnetic holes(KSMHs)are structures characterized by a significant magnetic depression with a length scale on the order of the proton gyroradius.These structures have been investigated in recent studies in near-Earth space,and found to be closely related to energy conversion and particle acceleration,wave-particle interactions,magnetic reconnection,and turbulence at the kineticscale.However,there are still several major issues of the KSMHs that need further study—including(a)the source of these structures(locally generated in near-Earth space,or carried by the solar wind),(b)the environmental conditions leading to their generation,and(c)their spatio-temporal characteristics.In this study,KSMHs in near-Earth space are investigated statistically using data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission.Approximately 200,000 events were observed from September 2015 to March 2020.Occurrence rates of such structures in the solar wind,magnetosheath,and magnetotail were obtained.We find that KSMHs occur in the magnetosheath at rates far above their occurrence in the solar wind.This indicates that most of the structures are generated locally in the magnetosheath,rather than advected with the solar wind.Moreover,KSMHs occur in the downstream region of the quasi-parallel shock at rates significantly higher than in the downstream region of the quasi-perpendicular shock,indicating a relationship with the turbulent plasma environment.Close to the magnetopause,we find that the depths of KSMHs decrease as their temporal-scale increases.We also find that the spatial-scales of the KSMHs near the subsolar magnetosheath are smaller than those in the flanks.Furthermore,their global distribution shows a significant dawn-dusk asymmetry(duskside dominating)in the magnetotail.

Review of Mercury's dynamic magnetosphere:Post-MESSENGER era and comparative magnetospheres

This review paper summarizes the research of Mercury’s magnetosphere in the Post-MESSENGER era and compares its dynamics to those in other planetary magnetospheres,especially to those in Earth’s magnetosphere.This review starts by introducing the planet Mercury,including its interplanetary environment,magnetosphere,exosphere,and conducting core.The frequent and intense magnetic reconnection on the dayside magnetopause,which is represented by the flux transfer event"shower",is reviewed on how they depend on magnetosheath plasma β and magnetic shear angle across the magnetopause,followed by how it contributes to the flux circulation and magnetosphere-surface-exosphere coupling.In the next,Mercury’s magnetosphere under extreme solar events,including the core induction and the reconnection erosion on the dayside magnetosphere,as well as the responses of the nightside magnetosphere,are reviewed.Then,the dawn-dusk properties of the plasma sheet,including the features of the ions,the structure of the current sheet,and the dynamics of magnetic reconnection,are summarized.The last topic is devoted to the particle energization in Mercury’s magnetosphere,which includes the energization of the Kelvin-Helmholtz waves on the magnetopause boundaries,reconnection-generated magnetic structures,and the cross-tail electric field.In each chapter,the last section discusses the open questions related to each topic,which can be considered by the simulations and the future spacecraft mission.We end this paper by summarizing the future Bepi Colombo opportunities,which is a joint mission of ESA and JAXA and is en route to Mercury.

Heating of multi-species upflowing ion beams observed by Cluster on March 28, 2001

Cluster satellites observed three successive outflowing ion beams on 28 March, 2001. It is generally accepted that these ion beams, composed of H^+, He^+, and O^+ ions, with three inverted-V structures in their energy spectra, are produced by acceleration through U-shaped potential structures. By eliminating the background ion population and employing Maxwelling fitting, we find that ions coming from the center of the potential structure have higher temperature than those from the flanks. Higher temperature of O^+ and He+compared to that of H^+ indicates that heavy ions are preferentially heated; we further infer that the heating efficiencies of O^+ and He^+ ions differ between the center and edges of the U-shaped potential structures. Estimation based on pitch angle observations shows that heating may also occur at an altitude above the upper boundary of the auroral acceleration region(AAR), where these beams are generally thought to be formed.

Reply to Comment by Lamy et al. on “Locating the source field lines of Jovian decametric radio emissions”

Locating the source of decametric(DAM)radio emissions is a key step in the use of remote radio observations to understand the Jovian magnetospheric dynamics and their interaction with the planet’s moons.Wang YM et al.(2020)presented a method by which recorded arc-shaped DAM emissions in the radio dynamic spectra can be used to locate the source of a DAM.An Io-related DAM event on March 14,2014 was used to demonstrate the method.A key parameter in the method is whether the DAM is emitted in the northern or the southern hemisphere;the hemisphere of origin can be determined definitively from the polarization of the emission.Unfortunately,polarization information for the emission on March 14,2014 event was not recorded.Our analysis assumed the source to be in the northern hemisphere.Lamy et al.(2022)argue convincingly that the source was probably in the southern hemisphere.We appreciate the helpful contribution of Lamy et al.(2022)to this discussion and have updated our analysis,this time assuming that the DAM source was in the southern hemisphere.We also explore the sensitivity of our method to another parameter-the height at which the value of fce,max,which is the maximal electron cyclotron frequency reached along the active magnetic flux tube,is adopted.Finally,we introduce our recent statistical study of 68 DAM events,which lays a more solid basis for testing the reliability of our method,which we continue to suggest is a promising tool by which remote radio observations can be used to locate the emission source of Jovian DAMs.

Magnetic storms in Mercury's magnetosphere

We present evidence of geomagnetic storms in Mercury’s magnetosphere based on MESSENGER magnetic field observations made just before the probe impacted the planet.Our findings answer the question of whether geomagnetic storms can occur in other planetary magnetospheres.The interaction of the solar wind with Mercury’s magnetosphere is known to involve flux transfer events in the dayside magnetosphere,plasmoids and flux ropes in the magnetotail,and substorm-like processes,all of which occur morphologically similar to Earth but with significant differences.The significantly weaker magnetic field,smaller magnetosphere,and much faster timescale of processes around Mercury,when compared with Earth,enable charged particles to escape its magnetosphere more efficiently through magnetopause shadowing and direct bombard of the surface.Our analysis of MESSENGER’s data during a coronal mass ejection(CME)proves that,despite these substantial differences,a bifurcated ring current can form in Mercury’s magnetosphere that initiates magnetic storms under strong solar wind driving.

The influence of tree transmissivity variations in winter on satellite snow parameter observations

The ability to correct for the influence of forest cover is crucial for retrieval of surface geophysical parameters such as snow cover and soil properties from microwave remote sensing.Existing correction approaches to brightness temperatures for northern boreal forest regions consider forest transmissivity constant during wintertime.However,due to biophysical protection mechanisms,below freezing air temperatures freeze the water content of northern tree species only gradually.As a consequence,the permittivity of many northern tree species decreases with the decrease of air temperature under sub-zero temperature conditions.This results in a monotonic increase of the tree vegetation transmissivity,as the permittivity contrast to the surrounding air decreases.The influence of this tree temperature-transmissivity relationship on the performance of the frequency difference passive microwave snow retrieval algorithms has not been considered.Using ground-based observations and an analytical model simulation based on Mätzler’s approach(1994),the influence of the temperaturetransmissivity relationship on the snow retrieval algorithms,based on the spectral difference of two microwave channels,is characterized.A simple approximation approach is then developed to successfully characterize this influence(the RMSE between the analytical model simulation and the approximation approach estimation is below 0.3 K).The approximation is applied to spaceborne observations,and demonstrates the capacity to reduce the influence of the forest temperature-transmissivity relationship on passive microwave frequency difference brightness temperature.

A case study of GOES-15 imager bias characterization with a numerical weather prediction model

The infrared imager onboard the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 15 （GOES-15） pro- vides temporally continuous observations over a limited spatial domain. To quantify bias of the GOES-15 imager, observations from four infrared channels （2, 3, 4, and 6） are compared with simulations from the numerical weather prediction model and radiative transfer model. One-day clear-sky infrared observations from the GOES-15 imager over an oceanic domain during nighttime are selected. Two datasets, Global Forecast System （GFS） analysis and ERA- Interim reanalysis, are used as inputs to the radiative transfer model. The results show that magnitudes of biases for the GOES-15 surface channels are approximately 1 K using two datasets, whereas the magnitude of bias for the GOES-15 water vapor channel can reach 5.5 K using the GFS dataset and 2.5 K using the ERA dataset. The GOES- 15 surface channels show positive dependencies on scene temperature, whereas the water vapor channel has a weak dependence on scene temperature. The strong dependence of bias on sensor zenith angle for the GOES-15 water vapor channel using GFS analysis implies large biases might exist in GFS water vapor profiles.

Propagation properties of foreshock cavitons: Cluster observations

Foreshock cavitons are transient phenomena observed in the terrestrial foreshock region.They are characterized by a simultaneous depression of magnetic field magnitude and plasma density,which are bounded with enhancements of these two parameters and surrounded by ultralow frequency(ULF)waves.Previous studies focused on the interplanetary magnetic field(IMF)conditions,solar wind(SW)conditions,and the growth of the foreshock waves related to the generation of foreshock cavitons.Previously,a multipoint spacecraft analysis method using Cluster data was applied to analyze only two foreshock cavitons,and this method did not consider uncertainties.In this study,multipoint spacecraft analysis methods,including the timing method,the minimum directional derivative(MDD)method,and the spatiotemporal difference(STD)method are applied to determine the velocity in both spacecraft and solar wind frames.The propagation properties show good agreement with previous results from simulations and observations that most cavitons move sunward in the solar wind frame,with the velocities larger than the Alfvén speed.The propagation properties of foreshock cavitons support the formation mechanism of cavitons in previous simulations,which suggested that cavitons are formed due to the nonlinear evolution of compressive ULF waves.We find that there is clear decreasing trend between the size of cavitons and their velocity in the solar wind frame.In addition,the timing method considering errors has been applied to study the evolution properties by comparing the velocities with errors of the leading and trailing edges,and we identify three stable cavitons and one contracting caviton,which has not been studied before.Most cavitons should remain stable when they travel toward the Earth’s bow shock.The relationship between the size of foreshock cavitons and their distance from the bow shock is also discussed.

Editorial review of HPLSE special issue on laboratory astrophysics

In 2018 the journal High Power Laser Science and Engineering produced a Special Issue on Laboratory Astrophysics.The scope of the special issue was to span the latest research and reviews on the following topics related to laboratory astrophysics and related phenomena.The topics invited for inclusion were:·collisionless shocks;·planetary formation dynamics and planetary interiors;·warm dense matter;·hydrodynamic and magnetohydrodynamic instabilities;·magnetic reconnection;·relativistic plasmas;·magnetic turbulence and magnetic amplification;·nuclear astrophysics;·radiative transfer and radiation hydrodynamics;·target design;·laser-based HED facilities.although this was not meant as an exhaustive list.As is usual with a special issue of this type Guest Editors were invited to lead in sourcing articles.

Conceptual design of an experiment to study dust destruction by astrophysical shock waves

A novel laboratory experimental design is described that will investigate the processing of dust grains in astrophysical shocks. Dust is a ubiquitous ingredient in the interstellar medium(ISM) of galaxies; however, its evolutionary cycle is still poorly understood. Especially shrouded in mystery is the efficiency of grain destruction by astrophysical shocks generated by expanding supernova remnants. While the evolution of these remnants is fairly well understood, the grain destruction efficiency in these shocks is largely unknown. The experiments described herein will fill this knowledge gap by studying the dust destruction efficiencies for shock velocities in the range ～10–30 km/s(μm/ns), at which most of the grain destruction and processing in the ISM takes place. The experiments focus on the study of grain–grain collisions by accelerating small(～1 μm) dust particles into a large(～5–10 μm diameter) population; this simulates the astrophysical system well in that the more numerous, small grains impact and collide with the large population. Facilities that combine the versatility of high-power optical lasers with the diagnostic capabilities of X-ray free-electron lasers, e.g., the Matter in Extreme Conditions instrument at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, provide an ideal laboratory environment to create and diagnose dust destruction by astrophysically relevant shocks at the micron scale.