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High-frequency plasma fluctuations in the middle magnetosheath and near its boundaries: Spektr-R observations

Part of: PLA The Vlasov Equation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2017

Liudmila S. Rakhmanova ,
M. O. Riazantseva ,
G. N. Zastenker  and
Yu. I. Yermolaev
Liudmila S. Rakhmanova*
Affiliation:
Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia
M. O. Riazantseva
Affiliation:
Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia
G. N. Zastenker
Affiliation:
Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia
Yu. I. Yermolaev
Affiliation:
Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia
*
†Email address for correspondence: rakhlud@gmail.com
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Abstract

We present a case study of the flank magnetosheath crossing by the Spektr-R satellite. High time resolution measurements of the ion flux value and its direction provided by the BMSW (Fast Solar Wind Monitor) instrument are examined at different distances from the magnetosheath boundaries – the bow shock and the magnetopause. The magnetosheath behind the quasi-perpendicular bow shock is analysed. The time resolution of these data – 31 ms – is sufficient for observing the frequency spectra of plasma fluctuations both at the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and ion kinetic scales. Generally, MHD scales are characterised by Kolmogorov-like spectra ${\sim}f^{-5/3}$ while spectra at kinetic scales are steeper with a break existing between the two scales. We examine evolution of spectral parameters such as power density and slopes, and the break frequency together with the evolution of properties of the probability distribution function. We find out that (i) power spectral densities of the two quantities change differently toward the magnetosheath (MSH) boundaries, (ii) the spectra slopes do not change significantly across the magnetosheath, (iii) the break frequency of the spectrum changes toward the magnetopause. In the middle MSH the spectra are affected by instabilities supposed to be ion cyclotron instabilities. We demonstrate that the plasma is low intermittent in the middle MSH and highly intermittent near its boundaries in the absence of large-scale variations.

Keywords

astrophysical plasmasplasma nonlinear phenomenaspace plasma physics
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 83 , Issue 2 , April 2017 , 705830204
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2017 

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