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Article Dans Une Revue Geophysical Research Letters Année : 2011

Jet front-driven mirror modes and shocklets in the near-Earth flow-braking region

B. Zieger
  • Fonction : Auteur
Alessandro Retinò
R. Nakamura
W. Baumjohann
A. Vaivads
Y. V. Khotyaintsev
  • Fonction : Auteur

Résumé

We investigate the small-scale structure of jet fronts through a case study of multi-spacecraft Cluster observations in the near-Earth flow-braking region at ˜-10 RE. We find that the interaction between the earthward moving fast plasma jet and the high-β ambient plasma in the plasma sheet results in magnetic pileup and compression ahead of the jet and rarefaction trailing the jet. It is shown that mirror-mode structures of ion gyroradius scale develop within the pileup region due to the observed ion temperature anisotropy (Ti⊥ > Ti\parallel). We suggest that the growth of these mirror modes is driven by the perpendicular total pressure perturbation (Δp⊥) generated by the braking jet. When Δp⊥ becomes too large, the mirror-mode structure cannot maintain pressure balance any longer, and consequently a shocklet is formed in the pileup region ahead of the jet front. We present the first evidence for such a kinetic shocklet in the flow-braking region.

Dates et versions

hal-01553748 , version 1 (03-07-2017)

Identifiants

Citer

B. Zieger, Alessandro Retinò, R. Nakamura, W. Baumjohann, A. Vaivads, et al.. Jet front-driven mirror modes and shocklets in the near-Earth flow-braking region. Geophysical Research Letters, 2011, 38, pp.22103. ⟨10.1029/2011GL049746⟩. ⟨hal-01553748⟩
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