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Ion Kinetics in a Hot Flow Anomaly: MMS Observations
Author(s) -
Schwartz Steven J,
Avanov Levon,
Turner Drew,
Zhang Hui,
Gingell Imogen,
Eastwood Jonathan P,
Gershman Daniel J,
Johlander Andreas,
Russell Christopher T,
Burch James L,
Dorelli John C,
Eriksson Stefan,
Ergun Robert E,
Fuselier Stephen A,
Giles Barbara L,
Goodrich Katherine A,
Khotyaintsev Yuri V,
Lavraud Benoit,
Lindqvist PerArne,
Oka Mitsuo,
Phan TaiDuc,
Strangeway Robert J,
Trattner Karlheinz J,
Torbert Roy B,
Vaivads Andris,
Wei Hanying,
Wilder Frederick
Publication year - 2018
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 - 10.1029/2018gl080189
Subject(s) - current sheet , physics , interplanetary spaceflight , ion , plasma sheet , geophysics , turbulence , bow shock (aerodynamics) , current (fluid) , solar wind , heliosphere , mechanics , interplanetary magnetic field , convection , heliospheric current sheet , shock (circulatory) , astrophysics , computational physics , magnetohydrodynamics , shock wave , plasma , magnetosphere , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics , medicine , thermodynamics
Hot Flow Anomalies (HFAs) are transients observed at planetary bow shocks, formed by the shock interaction with a convected interplanetary current sheet. The primary interpretation relies on reflected ions channeled upstream along the current sheet. The short duration of HFAs has made direct observations of this process difficult. We employ high resolution measurements by NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission to probe the ion microphysics within a HFA. Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission data reveal a smoothly varying internal density and pressure, which increase toward the trailing edge of the HFA, sweeping up particles trapped within the current sheet. We find remnants of reflected or other backstreaming ions traveling along the current sheet, but most of these are not fast enough to out‐run the incident current sheet convection. Despite the high level of internal turbulence, incident and backstreaming ions appear to couple gyro‐kinetically in a coherent manner.