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Observations of Whistler Waves Correlated with Electron-scale Coherent Structures in the Magnetosheath Turbulent Plasma

Huang S. Y., F. Sahraoui, Z. G. Yuan, O. Le Contel, H. Breuillard, J. S. He, J. S. Zhao, H. S. Fu, M. Zhou, X. H. Deng, X. Y. Wang, J. W. Du, X. D. Yu, D. D. Wang, C. J. Pollock, R. B. Torbert, J. L. Burch, (2018), Observations of Whistler Waves Correlated with Electron-scale Coherent Structures in the Magnetosheath Turbulent Plasma, The Astrophysical Journal, 861, 29, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aac831

Abstract

A new type of electron-scale coherent structure, referred to as electron vortex magnetic holes, was identified recently in the Earth{textquoteright}s magnetosheath turbulent plasma. These electron-scale magnetic holes are characterized by magnetic field strength depression, electron density enhancement, temperature and temperature anisotropy increase (a significant increase in perpendicular temperature and a decrease in parallel temperature), and an electron vortex formed by the trapped electrons. The strong increase of electron temperature indicates that these magnetic holes have a strong connection with the energization of electrons. Here, using high time resolution in situ measurements from the MMS mission, it is further shown that electron-scale whistler waves coexist with electron-scale magnetic holes. These whistler waves were found not propagating from remote regions, but generated locally due to electron temperature anisotropy (T $_{e⊥}$/T $_{e{ensuremath{parallel}}}$) inside the magnetic holes. This study provides new insights into the electron-scale plasma dynamics in turbulent plasmas.

Authors (sorted by name)

Breuillard Burch Deng Du Fu He Huang Le Contel Pollock Sahraoui Torbert Wang Yu Yuan Zhao Zhou

Journal / Conference

The Astrophysical Journal

Bibtex

@ARTICLE{2018ApJ...861...29H,
       author = {Huang, S.Y. and Sahraoui, F. and Yuan, Z.G. and Le Contel, O. and Breuillard, H. and He, J.S. and Zhao, J.S. and Fu, H.S. and Zhou, M. and Deng, X.H. and Wang, X.Y. and Du, J.W. and Yu, X.D. and Wang, D.D. and Pollock, C.J. and Torbert, R.B. and Burch, J.L.},
        title = "{Observations of Whistler Waves Correlated with Electron-scale Coherent Structures in the Magnetosheath Turbulent Plasma}",
      journal = {The Astrophysical Journal},
     keywords = {planets and satellites: magnetic fields, planets and satellites: physical evolution, plasmas, turbulence, waves},
         year = "2018",
        month = "Jul",
       volume = {861},
       number = {1},
          eid = {29},
        pages = {29},
     abstract = "{A new type of electron-scale coherent structure, referred to as electron
        vortex magnetic holes, was identified recently in the
        Earth{textquoteright}s magnetosheath turbulent plasma. These
        electron-scale magnetic holes are characterized by magnetic
        field strength depression, electron density enhancement,
        temperature and temperature anisotropy increase (a significant
        increase in perpendicular temperature and a decrease in parallel
        temperature), and an electron vortex formed by the trapped
        electrons. The strong increase of electron temperature indicates
        that these magnetic holes have a strong connection with the
        energization of electrons. Here, using high time resolution in
        situ measurements from the MMS mission, it is further shown that
        electron-scale whistler waves coexist with electron-scale
        magnetic holes. These whistler waves were found not propagating
        from remote regions, but generated locally due to electron
        temperature anisotropy (T $_{e⊥}$/T
        $_{e{ensuremath{parallel}}}$) inside the magnetic holes. This
        study provides new insights into the electron-scale plasma
        dynamics in turbulent plasmas.}",
          doi = {10.3847/1538-4357/aac831},
       adsurl = {https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018ApJ...861...29H},
      adsnote = {Provided by the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System}
}