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On the origins of magnetic flux ropes in near‐Mars magnetotail current sheets
Author(s) -
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.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2017gl073754
Subject(s) - martian , flux (metallurgy) , physics , mars exploration program , current sheet , geophysics , magnetic reconnection , magnetic flux , magnetosphere , rope , plasma sheet , ionosphere , current (fluid) , astrobiology , magnetic field , magnetohydrodynamics , materials science , structural engineering , quantum mechanics , engineering , metallurgy , thermodynamics
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.