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- Title
On the origins of magnetic flux ropes in near-Mars magnetotail current sheets.
- Authors
Hara, Takuya; Harada, Yuki; Mitchell, David L.; DiBraccio, Gina A.; Espley, Jared R.; Brain, David A.; Halekas, Jasper S.; Seki, Kanako; Luhmann, Janet G.; McFadden, James P.; Mazelle, Christian; Jakosky, Bruce M.
- Abstract
We analyze Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) observations of magnetic flux ropes embedded in Martian magnetotail current sheets, in order to evaluate the role of magnetotail reconnection in their generations. We conduct a minimum variance analysis to infer the generation processes of magnetotail flux ropes from the geometrical configuration of the individual flux rope axial orientation with respect to the overall current sheet. Of 23 flux ropes detected in current sheets in the near-Mars (∼1-3 Martian radii downstream) magnetotail, only 3 (possibly 4) can be explained by the magnetotail reconnection scenario, while the vast majority of the events (19 events) are more consistent with flux ropes that are originally generated in the dayside ionosphere and subsequently transported into the nightside magnetotail. The mixed origins of the detected flux ropes imply complex nature of generation and transport of Martian magnetotail flux ropes.
- Publication
Geophysical Research Letters, 2017, Vol 44, Issue 15, p7653
- ISSN
0094-8276
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/2017GL073754