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Final published version, 2.69 MB, PDF document
Available under license: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Final published version
Licence: CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
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 - Response of Earth's Neutral Sheet to Reversals in the IMF By Component
AU - Case, Nathan Anthony
AU - Grocott, Adrian
AU - Haaland, S.
AU - Martin, Carley
AU - Nagai, T.
PY - 2018/10
Y1 - 2018/10
N2 - The By component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) plays an integral part in the coupling of the solar wind‐magnetosphere‐ionosphere system. In this study, we use a suite of magnetospheric spacecraft, with data spanning nearly 25 years, to statistically investigate the control of the IMF By component on the neutral sheet. Past studies have identified that this thin layer of the magnetotail, which separates the oppositely directed magnetotail lobes, responds to reversals in the IMF By component. The proposed method for driving this response is through unequal flux loading in the magnetotail lobes, and we present lobe flow data from the Cluster mission, which suggests that this is indeed the case. We find that the neutral sheet responds in a statistical fashion, with a clear twist or rotation whose orientation depends upon the polarity of the IMF By component. Additionally, under individual analyses, we find the response time of the neutral sheet to IMF By reversals is much shorter than possible through the classical dayside reconnection driven picture. We find an average response time of between 10 and 20 min with little to no dependence on distance downtail. These results suggest that the neutral sheet responds to the IMF By component on multiple timescales.
AB - The By component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) plays an integral part in the coupling of the solar wind‐magnetosphere‐ionosphere system. In this study, we use a suite of magnetospheric spacecraft, with data spanning nearly 25 years, to statistically investigate the control of the IMF By component on the neutral sheet. Past studies have identified that this thin layer of the magnetotail, which separates the oppositely directed magnetotail lobes, responds to reversals in the IMF By component. The proposed method for driving this response is through unequal flux loading in the magnetotail lobes, and we present lobe flow data from the Cluster mission, which suggests that this is indeed the case. We find that the neutral sheet responds in a statistical fashion, with a clear twist or rotation whose orientation depends upon the polarity of the IMF By component. Additionally, under individual analyses, we find the response time of the neutral sheet to IMF By reversals is much shorter than possible through the classical dayside reconnection driven picture. We find an average response time of between 10 and 20 min with little to no dependence on distance downtail. These results suggest that the neutral sheet responds to the IMF By component on multiple timescales.
KW - neutral sheet
KW - twist
KW - IMF B y
KW - reversals
KW - statistical
KW - response
U2 - 10.1029/2018JA025712
DO - 10.1029/2018JA025712
M3 - Journal article
VL - 123
SP - 8206
EP - 8218
JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
SN - 2169-9402
IS - 10
ER -