Epoch-Based Model for Stormtime Plasmapause Location

J. Goldstein; S. Pascuale; W. S. Kurth

doi:10.1029/2018JA025996

Epoch-Based Model for Stormtime Plasmapause Location

J. Goldstein
, S. Pascuale
, W. S. Kurth

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

The output of a plasmapause test particle (PTP) code is used to formulate a new epoch-based plasmapause model. The PTP simulation is run for an ensemble of 60 storms spanning 3 September 2012 to 28 September 2017 and having peak D_st of −60 nT or less, yielding over 7 million model plasmapause locations. Events are automatically identified and epoch times calculated relative to the respective storm peaks. Epoch analysis of the simulated plasmapause is demonstrated to be an effective method to reveal the dynamical phases of plume formation and evolution. The plasmapause radius is found to be strongly correlated with positive solar wind electric field. The epoch-binned PTP data are used to create the first analytical model of the plasmapause that explicitly includes plumes. We obtain this result by employing as basis functions our derived exact solutions for the Volland-Stern convection potential. The analytical plasmapause model depends on epoch time, for moderate and strong storms, and is specified by three main parameters: the duskside plasmapause radius and two tuning coefficients. The epoch-based analytical model is shown to agree to within 0.5 R_E with nightside in situ plasmapause crossings by the Van Allen Probes on 17 March 2015. Compared to dayside plume crossings on 26 June 2000, the model agrees within 0.7 R_E of radius and 0.8 R_E azimuthal distance. This level of agreement is comparable to that achieved by the full dynamic PTP simulation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	4462-4491
Number of pages	30
Journal	Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Volume	124
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JA025996
State	Published - Jun 2019
Externally published	Yes

Funding

This project was supported by the NASA Van Allen Probes mission's RBSP-ECT project via JHU/APL contract 967399 under NASA's prime contract NAS5-01072. The research at University of Iowa was supported by JHU/APL contract 921647 under NASA prime contract NAS5-01072. OMNI solar wind and Kp data are accessible via CDAWeb at the website (http://cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/). Dst data are available from the World Data Center for Geomagnetism in Kyoto (http://wdc.kugi.kyoto-u.ac.jp/wdc/ Sec3.html). Van Allen Probes data (and the plasmapause test particle simulations) are publicly accessible via the ECT and EMFISIS links (http:// rbspgway.jhuapl.edu/). The 60 PTP simulations used in this study are directly available at the “Plasmapause Simulations” link on the ECT page (https://rbsp-ect. newmexicoconsortium.org/). EMFISIS-derived data and LANL data are taken from published results (Goldstein, De Pascuale, et al., 2014; Goldstein, Sandel, Thomsen, et al., 2004). This research has made use of NASA's Astrophysics Data System. This project was supported by the NASA Van Allen Probes mission's RBSP-ECT project via JHU/APL contract 967399 under NASA's prime contract NAS5-01072. The research at University of Iowa was supported by JHU/APL contract 921647 under NASA prime contract NAS5-01072. OMNI solar wind and Kp data are accessible via CDAWeb at the website (http://cdaweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/). Dst data are available from the World Data Center for Geomagnetism in Kyoto (http://wdc.kugi.kyoto-u.ac.jp/wdc/Sec3.html). Van Allen Probes data (and the plasmapause test particle simulations) are publicly accessible via the ECT and EMFISIS links (http://rbspgway.jhuapl.edu/). The 60 PTP simulations used in this study are directly available at the ?Plasmapause Simulations? link on the ECT page (https://rbsp-ect.newmexicoconsortium.org/). EMFISIS-derived data and LANL data are taken from published results (Goldstein, De Pascuale, et al.,; Goldstein, Sandel, Thomsen, et al.,). This research has made use of NASA's Astrophysics Data System.

Keywords

epoch-based model
plasmapause
plasmasphere
plume

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10.1029/2018JA025996

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@article{f2962ef1c70c41239aa870b0fd43d075,

title = "Epoch-Based Model for Stormtime Plasmapause Location",

abstract = "The output of a plasmapause test particle (PTP) code is used to formulate a new epoch-based plasmapause model. The PTP simulation is run for an ensemble of 60 storms spanning 3 September 2012 to 28 September 2017 and having peak Dst of −60 nT or less, yielding over 7 million model plasmapause locations. Events are automatically identified and epoch times calculated relative to the respective storm peaks. Epoch analysis of the simulated plasmapause is demonstrated to be an effective method to reveal the dynamical phases of plume formation and evolution. The plasmapause radius is found to be strongly correlated with positive solar wind electric field. The epoch-binned PTP data are used to create the first analytical model of the plasmapause that explicitly includes plumes. We obtain this result by employing as basis functions our derived exact solutions for the Volland-Stern convection potential. The analytical plasmapause model depends on epoch time, for moderate and strong storms, and is specified by three main parameters: the duskside plasmapause radius and two tuning coefficients. The epoch-based analytical model is shown to agree to within 0.5 RE with nightside in situ plasmapause crossings by the Van Allen Probes on 17 March 2015. Compared to dayside plume crossings on 26 June 2000, the model agrees within 0.7 RE of radius and 0.8 RE azimuthal distance. This level of agreement is comparable to that achieved by the full dynamic PTP simulation.",

keywords = "epoch-based model, plasmapause, plasmasphere, plume",

author = "J. Goldstein and S. Pascuale and Kurth, \{W. S.\}",

year = "2019",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1029/2018JA025996",

language = "English",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Epoch-Based Model for Stormtime Plasmapause Location

AU - Goldstein, J.

AU - Pascuale, S.

AU - Kurth, W. S.

PY - 2019/6

Y1 - 2019/6

N2 - The output of a plasmapause test particle (PTP) code is used to formulate a new epoch-based plasmapause model. The PTP simulation is run for an ensemble of 60 storms spanning 3 September 2012 to 28 September 2017 and having peak Dst of −60 nT or less, yielding over 7 million model plasmapause locations. Events are automatically identified and epoch times calculated relative to the respective storm peaks. Epoch analysis of the simulated plasmapause is demonstrated to be an effective method to reveal the dynamical phases of plume formation and evolution. The plasmapause radius is found to be strongly correlated with positive solar wind electric field. The epoch-binned PTP data are used to create the first analytical model of the plasmapause that explicitly includes plumes. We obtain this result by employing as basis functions our derived exact solutions for the Volland-Stern convection potential. The analytical plasmapause model depends on epoch time, for moderate and strong storms, and is specified by three main parameters: the duskside plasmapause radius and two tuning coefficients. The epoch-based analytical model is shown to agree to within 0.5 RE with nightside in situ plasmapause crossings by the Van Allen Probes on 17 March 2015. Compared to dayside plume crossings on 26 June 2000, the model agrees within 0.7 RE of radius and 0.8 RE azimuthal distance. This level of agreement is comparable to that achieved by the full dynamic PTP simulation.

AB - The output of a plasmapause test particle (PTP) code is used to formulate a new epoch-based plasmapause model. The PTP simulation is run for an ensemble of 60 storms spanning 3 September 2012 to 28 September 2017 and having peak Dst of −60 nT or less, yielding over 7 million model plasmapause locations. Events are automatically identified and epoch times calculated relative to the respective storm peaks. Epoch analysis of the simulated plasmapause is demonstrated to be an effective method to reveal the dynamical phases of plume formation and evolution. The plasmapause radius is found to be strongly correlated with positive solar wind electric field. The epoch-binned PTP data are used to create the first analytical model of the plasmapause that explicitly includes plumes. We obtain this result by employing as basis functions our derived exact solutions for the Volland-Stern convection potential. The analytical plasmapause model depends on epoch time, for moderate and strong storms, and is specified by three main parameters: the duskside plasmapause radius and two tuning coefficients. The epoch-based analytical model is shown to agree to within 0.5 RE with nightside in situ plasmapause crossings by the Van Allen Probes on 17 March 2015. Compared to dayside plume crossings on 26 June 2000, the model agrees within 0.7 RE of radius and 0.8 RE azimuthal distance. This level of agreement is comparable to that achieved by the full dynamic PTP simulation.

KW - epoch-based model

KW - plasmapause

KW - plasmasphere

KW - plume

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DO - 10.1029/2018JA025996

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JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics

JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics

IS - 6

ER -

Epoch-Based Model for Stormtime Plasmapause Location

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