Evidence of interplanetary magnetic reconnection
Transcription
Evidence of interplanetary magnetic reconnection
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 100, NO. A10, PAGES 19,903-19,910, OCTOBER 1995 Ulysses observation of a noncoronal mass ejection flux rope: Evidence of interplanetary magnetic reconnection M. ,B:. ~o1dwin,1 J. L. Phillips, J. T. Gosling, E. E. Scime, D. J. McComas, and ~. J. .l:Same Spaceand Atmospheric ScienceGroup, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico A. Balogh and R. J. Forsyth Spaceand Atmospheric Physics,Imperial College, London, England Abstract. A well-defined, small-scale{~O.O5AU) magnetic flux rope was observedby Ulyssesat about 5 AU in closeproximity to a heat flux dropout {HFD) at the heliosphericcurrent sheet {HCS). This magnetic flux rope is characterizedby a rotation of the field in the plane approximately perpendicular to the ecliptic {and containing the Sun and the spacecraft)and with a magnetic field maximum centered near the inflection point of the bipolar signature. The edgesof the flux rope are well definedby diamagnetic field minima. A bidirectional electron heat flux signature is coincidentwith the magnetic flux rope structure. The event occurredduring a time of slightly increasing solar wind speed,suggestingthat the field and plasma were locally compressed.Unlike most coronal mass ejections/magneticclouds,this event is characterizedby high proton temperatures and densities, high plasma beta, no significant alpha particle abundanceincrease,and a small radial size. We interpret these observationsin terms of multiple magnetic reconnectionof previously open field lines in interplanetary spaceat the HCS. Such reconnectionproducesa Ushapedstructure entirely disconnectedfrom the Sun {which we associatewith the HFD), a closedmagnetic flux rope {which we associatewith the counterstreaming electron event), and a closedmagnetic loop or tongue connectedback to the Sun at both ends.Theseobservationssuggestthat magnetic reconnection,and its changesto magneticfield topology, can occurwell beyondthe solar coronain interplanetary space. Introduction Magnetic reconnection is thought to play an integral role in the energization of solar plasma and the reconfiguration of solar magnetic fields [e.g., Priest, 1984]. Heat flux dropouts (HFDs) in solar wind suprathermal electron distributions have been interpreted as evidence of magnetic reconnection in the solar corona [e.g., McComas et at., 1989]. One possible interpretation ofHFDs is that they are due to spacecraft passage through magnetic flux tubes that have been completely disconnected from the Sun [e.g., McComas et at., 1991] and that are connected to the outer heliosphere at both ends. However, most HFDs identified in ISEE 3 data by McComas et at. [1989] were found to have streaming populations of more energetic electrons (>2 keY) [Lin and Kahter, 1992], indicating that HFDs are not necessarily unambiguous signatures of disconnection from the Sun. INow at Department of Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne. Copyright 1995by the American GeophysicalUnion. Paper number 95]AOl123. 0148-0227/95/95]A.Oll23$05.00 19,903 Magnetic reconnectionin the solar corona [e.g., Kopp and Pneuman, 1976; Hiei et al., 1993] has also been suggestedto be responsiblefor producing magnetic flux ropes/magnetic clouds that are observed in interplanetary space [Gosling, 1990, 1993] .In this picture, reconnection occurs on the sunward side of expanding coronal loops to form the flux rope structure (Figure 1). These magnetic structures have been shown to be a subset of the class of solar ejecta called coronal mass ejections (CMEs) [e.g., Klein and Burlaga, 1982; Gosling, 1990]. Magnetic clouds, as definedby Klein and Burlaga [1982], are regions with a radial dimension of >0.25AU (at 1 AU) in which the magnetic field strength is high and the magnetic field direction changes appreciablyby means of rotation of one componentof B nearly parallel to a plane. Magnetic clouds are also inferred to be expanding at 1 AU due to a higher pressure observedinside the structure comparedto the surrounding medium. Several criteria have been used to identify CMEs in the solar wind. Table 1 presents someof the signatures that have been used to identify CMEs (adapted from Gosling [1990]).Not all events identified as CMEs have all of these signatures [e.g., Zwickl et al., 1983]. It is our experiencethat the most robust signature of a CME at 1 AU is the presence of counterstreaming solar wind MOLDWIN 19,904 Rising - CME Loops ET AL.: EVIDENCE OF INTERPLANETARY I \\ \\ fl Figure 1. A schematic showing the formation of a magnetic flux rope in interplanetary space by magnetic reconnection of the closed loops embedded within a CME [from Gosling, 1993]. suprathermal electrons [Gosling et al. ,1987]. However, studies of fast CMEs that drive interplanetary shocks have found that other signatures are just as good as, if not better than, the presence of counterstreaming electrons in identifying CMEs. Richardson and Cane [1993] found that plasma proton temperature depressionswere the best signature of fast CMEs, while Zwickl et al. [1983] found that low-variance, enhanced magnetic fields [e.g., Tranquille et al. , 1987] were equally as goodas counterstreamingelectron signatures. It should be noted that the Richardson and Cane and Zwickl et al. studies were of fast CMEs that drove shocks.Thesefast CMEs make up only about one-third of all CMEs [Gosling et al., 1991]. Adding to the difficulty of using counterstreaming electron signatures to identify CMEs is that beyond2 AU and in the vicinity of Jupiter there are several other sources of counterstreaming electron fluxes, including magnetic connectionto interplanetary shocks[Gosling et al., 1993] and to the Jovian bow shock [Moldwin et al. , 1993]. Though the signatures used to identify CMEs are not universal amongall CMEs, the physical placeof origin of Table I. Common Signatures MAGNETIC RECONNECTION CMEs is well understood (i.e., the solar corona). CMEs are ejections of coronal material containing closed magnetic field lines not previously participating in the solar wind expansion [e.g., Hundhausen, 1988; Gosling, 1993]. During the in-ecliptic phase of its mission, Ulysses observed a sequence of plasma and magnetic field signatures at about 5 AU that, in some ways, were reminiscent of aCME/magnetic cloud [e.g., Klein and Burlaga, 1982;Burlaga, 1991; Farrugia et al. , 1993]. Thesesignatures included high magnetic field strength, a smooth rotation of the magnetic field, and the coincident observation of counter streaming suprathermal halo electrons.However, many features of this event are not consistent with a coronal origin of the structure. Here we proposethat this event resulted from magnetic reconnection in interplanetary space of previously open magnetic field lines. It has been suggestedthat magnetic reconnectionsometimesoccurs aheadof fast CMEs in interplanetary space[McComaset al. , 1988]. If the CME is moving faster than the surrounding solar wind, interplanetary magnetic field (lMF) lines will drape about the CME. If within the draping region there is a region in which the magnetic fields have components that are antiparallel to each other (such as at a swept up heliospheric current sheet), magnetic reconnection could be initiated. A possible example of such a reconnection scenario was presented recently [McComas et al., 1994]. The present observations suggest that magnetic reconnection can occur in interplanetary space at a heliospheric current sheet even without a CME driver. In addition, the flux rope nature of the event argues for multiple magnetic reconnection as opposed to a single reconnection site that cannot produce a topologically distinct flux rope from previously openmagnetic field lines. Observations This study uses ion and electron measurementsfrom the in-ecliptic phaseof the Ulyssesmission. The Ulysses Solar Wind Plasma Experiment's electron instrument is a spherical-section electrostatic analyzer which uses channel electron multipliers (CEMs) to count particles discretely. The energy range of the instrument is 1.6 to 862 eV. Each electron spectrum takes 2 min to measure and includes 20 logarithmically spacedenergy steps.The ion instrument is also a spherical-section electrostatic analyzer which returns three-dimensionalvelocity space measurements of the solar wind proton and helium of CMEs and Their References. Signature Counterstreaming suprathermal electrons Counterstreaming energetic ions Helium abundance enhancement Ion and electron temperature depressions Strong magnetic fields Low magnetic field variance Anomalous field rotations Low plasma beta Unusual ionization states Reference Montgomeryet al., [1974],Goslinget al., [1987] Marsdenet al., [1987],Palmer et al., [1978] Hirshberg et al., [1972],Borrini et al., [1982] Goslinget al., [1973],Montgomeryet al., [1974] Hirshberg and Colbum, [1969],Burlaga and King, [1979] Pudovkin et al., [1979],Marsden et al., [1987] Burlaga et al., [1981],Klein and Burlaga, [1982] Goslinget al., [1987] Bame et al., [1979], Fenimore, [1980] MOLDWIN ET AL.: EVIDENCE OF INTERPLANETARY distributions over an energy range of 0.248 to 12.2 keV/q. A full description of the plasma instruments is given by Bame et al. [1992]. The magnetometer data used in this study are from the Ulysses magnetic field instrument [Balogh et al., 1992]. In this study we use 256-saveragedvector magnetic field observations. Plate 1 shows a color-coded spectrogram of the log(counts)of suprathermal halo electrons(78-175eV) as a function of time and look direction for December 22, 1991.At this time, Ulysseswas approachingJupiter and was at a heliocentric distance of 5.01 AU. Two regions of interest to this study are marked. The first region, beginning at about 0430 UT, is an HFD. Note the absenceof a suprathermal electron flux. At 1600 UT a bidirectional heat flux event begins, as evidencedby the appearanceof flux at two azimuths separated by 180°. The normal solar wind unidirectional heat flux is evident betweenthe two events and prior to the HFD. Figure 2 showsmagnetic field data (Be,B., B total) for these events in RTN spherical coordinates(where R is parallel to the Sun-spacecraftvector, T is parallel to .0.x R, where .0.is parallel to the solar rotation axis, and N completesthe right-handed set; Be is the polar angle and is definedto be 90° along Nand 0° in the R-T plane, and MAGNETIC RECONNECTION 19,905 B. is the azimuthal angle and is defined to be 00 along R). The two regions identified with the electron spectrogramalso have signatures in the magnetic field, namely, the HFD is coincident with a heliospheric current sheet crossing, as was also found with most of the HFDs identified by McComaset al. [1989], and the region of bidirectional electron heat flux is coincident with a rotation of the magnetic field. Figure 3 shows selectedfield and plasma parameters for the secondhalf of December 22, 1991. The panels display the values of the total magnetic field, proton density, proton temperature, bulk speed,alpha particle abundance (Nr/N p), total plasma pressure, and total plasma beta. The boundaries of the counterstreaming suprathermal electron event are defmedby the magnetic field minimum. A magnetic field strength maximum is evident at the center of the event. This maximum is larger than the surrounding interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) value. The value of the proton density triples within the event, and the proton temperature has an intermediate value from the solar wind before and after the event. The event is superimposed upon a slowly increasing solar wind velocity profile. There is no alpha abundanceenhancementduring this event, as shown in E 00 02 04 06 HFD 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 Bidirectional Electron Event Plate I. A color plot showing the number of electron counts (color intensity) in the suprathermal (77 eV to 124 eV) energy band for December22, 1991, as a function of time and spacecraft look direction (in the R-T plane). The HFD and flux rope intervals are marked. MOLDWIN 19,906 ET AL.: EVIDENCE OF INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC in this study. The similarities are striking, including the well-defined diamagnetic field minima at the boundaries, the magnetic field maximum, and the bipolar signature. The magnetic field minima at the boundaries of geotail flux rope plasmoids have been interpreted to be due to plasma sheet-like plasma inside the flux rope plasmoid [e.g., Moldwin and Hughes, 1991].The diamagnetic field minima observed on the boundaries of the Ulysses flux rope therefore could analogously be due to the entry of HCS plasma sheetlike plasma. ~ m ~ CD Discussion if Non-CME-like 3 ! ! ! ! ! i i i i i 4:00 8:00 12:00 Iff 16:00 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 0:00 20:00 Qualities The 4-hour-long magnetic signature (Figure 3b) is consistent with a magnetic flux rope. Since magnetic clouds can be modeled as magnetic flux ropes [e.g., Burlaga, 1988] and since magnetic clouds are a subset of CMEs [e.g., Gosling, 1990], it is reasonable to assume that this event is a CME, especially since the structure is also marked by a bidirectional electron heat flux 2.5 ID RECONNECTION 0:00 01 "' E ID Figure 2. The magnetic field in RTN spherical coordinates for December 22, 1991. The boundaries of the HFD and bidirectional heat flux events are marked. 0. z the fifth panel. The event is marked by high plasma beta, particularly during the diamagnetic minimums at the boundary. Figure 4a showsthe magnetic field data for 1600-2000 UT in principal axis analysis coordinates (PAA). Principal axis coordinatesare defined by the direction of minimum variance (see Sonnerup and Cahill [1967]for details) and have been extensively used to order magneticfield data of flux rope structures [e.g.,Elphic et al. , 1980; Klein and Burlaga, 1982; Moldwin and Hughes,1991].Hodogramsof the magnetic field data are shown in Figure 4b. Table 2 gives the PAA coordinates for this interval. The rotation is nearly in the R-N plane with the minimum variance direction along the Taxis. Thesehodogramsare very similar to onesfrom magnetic clouds[Klein and Burlaga, 1982] and magnetic flux rope plasmoidsobservedin the Earth's magnetotail [Moldwin and Hughes, 1991] and suggestthat this structure is a magneticflux rope. It is instructive to comparethis flux rope observation with flux rope plasmoid events observedin the distant magnetotail. Suchevents have beeninterpreted as being due to multiple magnetic reconnectionacrossthe Earth's plasma sheet [e.g., Hones et al., 1979]. The magnetic field behavior of the Ulysses event is very reminiscent of many flux rope plasmoid observations in the deep tail [e.g.,Moldwin and Hughes, 1992].Figure 5 compares the magneticfield profile of a geomagnetictail plasmoid observation made by ISEE 3 (at GSM x = -90 RE m December28, 1982)with the flux rope event presented -0:. E 0) 1!:1!: ~ 1- o 0 s >-~ .~ 0 500. 480 440 460 gE -~ .,~ > ~ 420 --4 , ~~ , '- 400 0.1 . 0) u IU ~ .c"C C.c -~ 0.08 0.06 0.04 0.02 ~ QA.~~ ~~~~~ -IS -~ <~ '0" ~~ ""'11. "' 0)+ ~ ~~ -~ .'!c OCI 1 ~ ~ ,__- ~ 10"" 2 - 'ii: [I: 1.5- !:.. 9 0) 00 ~ O.~ L , 6 ~ " ,...r ~-~ TiniUT . Figure 3. Selected field and plasma parameters for the 12 hours centered on the magnetic flux rope event. The magnetic field boundaries of the event are coincident with the suprathermal bidirectional electron heat flux. MOLDWIN ET AL.: EVIDENCE OF INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC RECONNECTION 19,907 PAA Coordinates of Magnetic Flux Rope ~ ,2. ~... ': ~ 0-= m .~ N m : .- -2i N m ..., a'"" , -2 -1 , ,..." O 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 81 -;4 3 2 1 1 1 o .31 M m -1. ~-- ~ -2 ~ -3.:: (a) I "6""""1'7"1'81'9?1 UT 22 December ('I m 1991 0. (b) -3"1 ' , '.., ' , , , l' , , , , ' , , , " , .., ' , , , I -3 -2 -1 O 1 2 3 81 Figure 4. (a) Time series of the magnetic field in PM coordinates for the flux rope event. (b) Hodograms of the PM coordinates. The PM field behavior is consistent with a magnetic flux rope structure and is similar to ones presented for magnetic clouds and flux rope plasmoids in the Earth's magnetotail. event. However, several features of this magnetic flux rope are not consistent with a CME/magnetic cloud interpretation. The first is the relatively small size. The radial extent of this flux rope is estimated to be -0.05 AU. Sincewe assumeit is an off-axis pass, this value is a minimum size; however, since there is a substantial rotation of the field, it is not just a skimming pass. The smallest magnetic cloud previously identified had a size of 0.06 AU and was observed by Helios at 0.6 AU [Bothmer, 1993].However, most CMEs/magneticclouds observedbeyond1 AU have scalesizesof >0.2 AU [Klein and Burlaga, 1982; Marsden et al., 1987; Bothmer, 1993].The averagesize of CMEs observedat 1 AU was found to be 0.2 AU [Gosling et al., 1987]. The second non-CME-like feature is the high proton temperature observed inside the flux rope. Most CMEs/magnetic clouds have plasma temperature depressions [e.g., Gosling et al. 1973; Montgomery et al., 1974; Zwickl et al., 1983;Richardson and Cane, 1993],though there are events identified as CMEs that do not [e.g., Gosling, Table 2. The PAA Coordinates 1990]. The third non-CME-like feature of this event is the relatively high plasma beta. Most magnetic clouds and CMEs are low-beta objects [Burlaga, 1991; Gosling et al., 1987;Farrugia et al. , 1993].The fourth non-CMElike feature is the lack of a substantial alpha abundance increase. (Though alpha particle increases have often beenused to identify CMEs, there are many examplesof CMEs that do not have appreciable alpha abundance increases [Gosling et al., 1987]).Another possiblepiece of evidencethat argues against a coronal origin of this structure is the total pressure profile (Figure 3). The event is characterized by an overpressure, which, coupledwith the relatively small size, suggeststhat the flux rope could not have propagated out to 5 AU and remained so small, unless the magnetic "twist" or tension is strong enough to confine the overpressure. The observedazimuthal field, however, is insufficient to confine the overpressure. Most CMEs/magnetic clouds are observedto be expanding and grow to considerable size by 1 AU. For these five reasonswe argue against E' for the Flux Rope B, B2 B3 *Var is the variance of the field along the PAA direction. 0.758 0.652 -0.003 -0.652 0.758 0.003 MOLDWIN Flux -~1U1 ET AL.: EVIDENCE OF INTERPLANETARY ~\f\r- 135 1tO - 1t:s ~tnO ( .1 (mihJ- Irme 1t~5 1 1~ O 1 N CD N ID 0 -~ 1 h~ 23_1;,_12:00:00 1__1__16:00:00Time I ~ ___1__UT20:00:00 RECONNECTION Interplanetary Origin of the Flux Rope Rope Plasmoid Observed I§EE 13 in the ~ar1h's Ta~ 15 5 MAGNETIC 1 --, 24:00:00 Figure 5. A comparison of a magnetic flux rope plasmoid observation observed in the Earth's magnetotail with ISEE 3 and the magnetic flux rope structure observed in the solar wind with mysses. coronal origin for this event. We propose that this structure was generated by multiple magnetic reconnectionof previously open magnetic fields at the heliosphericcurrent sheetin interplanetary space. An HFD was observed prior to the flux rope. HFDs have been interpreted as evidence of flux tubes completely disconnectedfrom the Sun [McComaset al., 1989, 1994]. The flux rope is observed8 hours after the HFD. Figure 6 shows an idealized schematic in the plane perpendicular to the ecliptic of a suggested scenario that we believe can best explain these observations.As the solar wind propagatespast Ulysses, the spacecraftfirst crossesthrough the HFD and across the HCS. Owing to the IMF draping between the HFD and the flux rope, Ulysses observes"normal" solar wind prior to the entry into the flux rope. Note in Figure 2 that the magnetic field (e.g., the theta component) betweenthe flux rope and the HFD rotates in away that is consistent with the field draping between the HFD and the flux rope as shown in Figure 6. This figure also demonstrates a possible explanation for why this is the only example of this type of sequenceof events in the Ulyssesdata set identified so far, namely, the small size of the flux rope (0.05 AU) and the alignment needed betweenthe satellite trajectory and the different regions make it a fortunate occurrenceto observethese events. Recently, McComas et al. [1994] proposed a similar origin for a sequence of plasma and field signatures observed by Ulysses just beyond 1 AU, except it was suggestedthat the reconnectionin that event was driven by a fast CME overtaking slower ambient plasmas and fields. The scenario developed in this study differs in that no CME was observed following this sequenceof plasma and field signatures and we observe a distinct flux rope structure after the HFD. An interesting implication of our interpretation of the magnetic event as a magnetic flux rope is that multiple magnetic reconnectionis required. The topological consequenceof reconnecting open IMF lines at a single location is to form a U-shaped HFD and a closed magnetic loop or tonguethat is connectedback to the Sun at both ends.In order to form a topologically distinct flux rope, multiple magnetic reconnection is needed (or reconnection of Figure 6. A schematic showing the possible magnetic field geometry surrounding this event. MOLDWIN ET AL.: EVIDENCE OF INTERPLANETARY closedmagnetic field lines, as illustrated in Figure 1). Multiple magnetic reconnection forms three distinct plasma structures: (1) a U-shaped HFD, (2) a flux rope or magnetic island structure with the bidirectional electron heat flux, and (3) a closed magnetic loop or tongue. The third structure is not observedduring this interval; however,if our interpretation of the formation of a flux rope by multiple magnetic reconnection is correct, it must have been created. Figure 6 shows a possible explanation for why this third structure is not observed, namely, the orientation of the HCS with respectto the satellite trajectory was not favorable. Summary and Conclusions The Ulyssesspacecraftobserveda sequenceof plasma and magnetic field signatures that we interpret as evidence for multiple magnetic reconnection of previously open field lines in interplanetary space.The signatures include an HFD followed closely by a nonCME magnetic flux rope. This study implies that magneticislands or flux ropescan be producedalong the HCS in interplanetary spacesomewhatanalogousto flux rope plasmoids formed in the Earth's geomagnetictail. In addition, if this interpretation is correct, a CME driver is not required to initiate this magnetic reconnection.These observations demonstrate that the magnetic topologyof interplanetary magnetic field lines canbe changedfar from the Sun. Acknowledgments. One of the authors (M.M.) thanks Max Hammond for helpful discussions and data analysis support. The work at Los Alamos National Laboratory was performed under the auspicesof the United States Department of Energy with financial support ftom the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration. The Editor thanks two referees for their assistance in evaluatingthis paper. References Balogh, A., T. J. Beek, R. J. Forsyth, P. C. Hedgecock,R. J. Marquedant, E. J. Smith, D. J. Southwood, and B. T. 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