Premium
Lower hybrid waves in the ion diffusion and magnetospheric inflow regions
Author(s) -
Graham D. B.,
Khotyaintsev Yu. V.,
Norgren C.,
Vaivads A.,
André M.,
ToledoRedondo S.,
Lindqvist P.A.,
Marklund G. T.,
Ergun R. E.,
Paterson W. R.,
Gershman D. J.,
Giles B. L.,
Pollock C. J.,
Dorelli J. C.,
Avanov L. A.,
Lavraud B.,
Saito Y.,
Magnes W.,
Russell C. T.,
Strangeway R. J.,
Torbert R. B.,
Burch J. L.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1002/2016ja023572
Subject(s) - magnetosheath , magnetosphere , magnetopause , gyroradius , lower hybrid oscillation , physics , ion , electric field , diffusion , geophysics , substorm , instability , inflow , atomic physics , computational physics , plasma , mechanics , cyclotron , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
The role and properties of lower hybrid waves in the ion diffusion region and magnetospheric inflow region of asymmetric reconnection are investigated using the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. Two distinct groups of lower hybrid waves are observed in the ion diffusion region and magnetospheric inflow region, which have distinct properties and propagate in opposite directions along the magnetopause. One group develops near the ion edge in the magnetospheric inflow, where magnetosheath ions enter the magnetosphere through the finite gyroradius effect and are driven by the ion‐ion cross‐field instability due to the interaction between the magnetosheath ions and cold magnetospheric ions. This leads to heating of the cold magnetospheric ions. The second group develops at the sharpest density gradient, where the Hall electric field is observed and is driven by the lower hybrid drift instability. These drift waves produce cross‐field particle diffusion, enabling magnetosheath electrons to enter the magnetospheric inflow region thereby broadening the density gradient in the ion diffusion region.