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Effects of Bubble Injections on the Plasma Sheet Configuration
Author(s) -
Sadeghzadeh Sina,
Yang Jian,
Wang ChihPing,
Mousavi Ameneh,
Wang Wenrui,
Sun Weiqin,
Toffoletto Frank,
Wolf Richard
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1029/2021ja029127
Subject(s) - plasma sheet , plasma , convection , mechanics , bubble , physics , magnetic field , field line , flow (mathematics) , magnetosphere , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics
The bimodal transport in the plasma sheet consists of sunward large‐scale, coherent, and slow motion of charged particles in the closed‐field‐line region as well as meso‐scale, localized, and transient fast flow bursts. It has been found that these earthward moving bursty bulk flows, also called “bubbles,” play a crucial role not only in the transporting mass and energy, but also in resolving the pressure‐balance crisis with their integrated effects. In this study, we examine how bubbles can affect the average configuration of the middle and inner plasma sheet using the Inertialized Rice Convection Model (RCM‐I). Bubbles are sporadically imposed at 22R eon the nightside plasma sheet, with optimized parameters that constrain their statistical properties. The consequence of the injection of these series of bubbles is evaluated by comparing against observed statistical results, including plasma moments and magnetic field configuration. Our findings confirm that bursty bulk flows are indispensable elements in the magnetotail plasma sheet.