Rights statement: ©2012. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Asymmetric distribution of reconnection jet fronts in the Jovian nightside magnetosphere
AU - Kasahara, S.
AU - Kronberg, E. A.
AU - Kimura, T.
AU - Tao, C.
AU - Badman, S. V.
AU - Masters, A.
AU - Retinò, A.
AU - Krupp, N.
AU - Fujimoto, M.
N1 - ©2012. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
PY - 2013/1/1
Y1 - 2013/1/1
N2 - Magnetic reconnection plays important roles in mass transport and energy conversion in planetary magnetospheres. It is considered that transient reconnection causes localized auroral arcs or spots in the Jovian magnetosphere, by analogy to the case in the Earth's magnetosphere. However, the local structures of transient reconnection events (i.e., magnetospheric plasma parameters) and their spatial distribution have not been extensively investigated for the Jovian magnetosphere. Here we examine plasma velocity and density during strong north-south magnetic field events in the Jovian nightside magnetosphere, which may be associated with tail reconnection. We find prominent reconnection jet fronts predominantly on the dawnside of the nightside magnetosphere, which would be a signature unique to rotation-dominant planetary magnetospheres. The observed plasma structures are consistent with significant field-aligned currents which would generate localized aurora.
AB - Magnetic reconnection plays important roles in mass transport and energy conversion in planetary magnetospheres. It is considered that transient reconnection causes localized auroral arcs or spots in the Jovian magnetosphere, by analogy to the case in the Earth's magnetosphere. However, the local structures of transient reconnection events (i.e., magnetospheric plasma parameters) and their spatial distribution have not been extensively investigated for the Jovian magnetosphere. Here we examine plasma velocity and density during strong north-south magnetic field events in the Jovian nightside magnetosphere, which may be associated with tail reconnection. We find prominent reconnection jet fronts predominantly on the dawnside of the nightside magnetosphere, which would be a signature unique to rotation-dominant planetary magnetospheres. The observed plasma structures are consistent with significant field-aligned currents which would generate localized aurora.
KW - reconnection jet fronts
KW - Jovian magnetosphere
U2 - 10.1029/2012JA018130
DO - 10.1029/2012JA018130
M3 - Journal article
VL - 118
SP - 375
EP - 384
JO - Journal of Geophysical Research
JF - Journal of Geophysical Research
SN - 0148-0227
IS - 1
ER -