Work

Observation of O+ Characteristics During the Terrestrial Alfvén Wing State Induced by the April 2023 Coronal Mass Ejection

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: We report Magnetospheric Multiscale observations of oxygen ions (O+) during a coronal mass ejection in April 2023 when the solar wind was sub-Alfv\'enic and Alfv\'en wings formed. For the first time, O+ characteristics are studied at the contact region between the unshocked solar wind and the magnetosphere. The O+ ions show energies between 100s eV and ~30 keV. The possible sources are the ring current, the warm plasma cloak, and the ionosphere. The O+ ions exhibit bi-directional streaming along newly-formed closed field lines (CFLs), and dominantly anti-parallel on earlier-formed CFLs. Escaping O+ ions in the unshocked solar wind are observed. During the recovery phase, the O+ pitch-angle distribution associated with flux tubes shows dispersion, indicating potential loss to the solar wind. Our results show escaping as well as trapped O+ ions in the region where a magnetic cloud, an Alfv\'en wing, and magnetospheric field lines are mixed.

Source: Maryland Shared Open Access Repository (USMAI Consortium)

DOI: 10.13016/m2g5qb-xpo3

Authors: Liang, Haoming, Chen, Li-Jen, Fuselier, Stephen A., Gomez, Roman G., Burkholder, Brandon, Bessho, Naoki, Gurram, Harsha, Rice, Rachel C., Shuster, Jason, Ardakani, Akhtar S.

Language: English

Topic: Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission

Awards: GEM: Energy Conversion Associated with Non-equilibrium Velocity Distribution Functions in Dayside Magnetopause Reconnection, G7496395958

OpenAlex ID: W6903747526

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