A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Mirror modes in the Earth's magnetosheath: Results from a global hybrid-Vlasov simulation
Authors: Hoilijoki S, Palmroth M, Walsh BM, Pfau-Kempf Y, von Alfthan S, Ganse U, Hannuksela O, Vainio R
Publisher: AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION
Publication year: 2016
Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Journal name in source: JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICS
Journal acronym: J GEOPHYS RES-SPACE
Volume: 121
Issue: 5
First page : 4191
Last page: 4204
Number of pages: 14
ISSN: 2169-9380
eISSN: 2169-9402
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JA022026
Abstract
We investigate mirror mode structures in the Earth's magnetosheath using our global kinetic Vlasiator simulation, which models ion behavior through their distribution function and treats electrons as a charge-neutralizing fluid. We follow the evolution of waves as they advect along velocity streamlines through the magnetosheath. We find that mirror mode waves are observed preferentially in the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath along velocity streamlines that enter the sheath in the vicinity of the foreshock ULF wave boundary where there are enough initial perturbations in the plasma for the mirror modes to grow, and the plasma properties fulfill the mirror instability condition better than elsewhere in the magnetosheath. We test selection criteria defined by previous studies and show that the spatial extent over which mirror modes occur ranges from much of the magnetosheath on the quasi-perpendicular side of the subsolar point to very small isolated regions depending on the criteria.
We investigate mirror mode structures in the Earth's magnetosheath using our global kinetic Vlasiator simulation, which models ion behavior through their distribution function and treats electrons as a charge-neutralizing fluid. We follow the evolution of waves as they advect along velocity streamlines through the magnetosheath. We find that mirror mode waves are observed preferentially in the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath along velocity streamlines that enter the sheath in the vicinity of the foreshock ULF wave boundary where there are enough initial perturbations in the plasma for the mirror modes to grow, and the plasma properties fulfill the mirror instability condition better than elsewhere in the magnetosheath. We test selection criteria defined by previous studies and show that the spatial extent over which mirror modes occur ranges from much of the magnetosheath on the quasi-perpendicular side of the subsolar point to very small isolated regions depending on the criteria.