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Electron Dynamics in a Subproton-Gyroscale Magnetic HoleMagnetic holes are ubiquitous in space plasmas, occurring in the solar wind, downstream of planetary bow shocks, and inside the magnetosphere. Recently, kinetic-scale magnetic holes have been observed near Earth's central plasma sheet. The Fast Plasma Investigation on NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission enables measurement of both ions and electrons with 2 orders of magnitude increased temporal resolution over previous magnetospheric instruments. Here we present data from MMS taken in Earth's nightside plasma sheet and use high-resolution particle and magnetometer data to characterize the structure of a subproton-scale magnetic hole. Electrons with gyroradii above the thermal gyroradius but below the current layer thickness carry a current sufficient to account for a 10-20 depression in magnetic field magnitude. These observations suggest that the size and magnetic depth of kinetic-scale magnetic holes is strongly dependent on the background plasma conditions.
Document ID
20170003496
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Gershman, Daniel J.
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Dorelli, John C.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Vinas, Adolfo F.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Avanov, Levon A.
(Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Gliese, Ulrik B.
(SGT, Inc. Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Barrie, Alexander C.
(Millennium Engineering and Integration Services, LLC Arlington, VA, United States)
Coffey, Victoria
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Chandler, Michael
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL United States)
Dickson, Charles
(ASRC Federal Space and Defense Greenbelt, MD, United States)
MacDonald, Elizabeth A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Salo, Chad
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Holland, Matthew
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Saito, Yoshifumi
(Institute of Space and Astronautical Science Sagamihara, Japan)
Sauvaud, Jean-Andre
(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Toulouse, France)
Lavraud, Benoit
(Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Toulouse, France)
Paterson, William R.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Torbert, Roy
(New Hampshire Univ. Durham, NH, United States)
Chen, Li-Jen
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Goodrich, Katherine
(Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Russell, Christopher T.
(California Univ. Los Angeles, CA, United States)
Strangeway, Robert J.
(California Univ. Los Angeles, CA, United States)
Giles, Barbara L.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Pollock, Craig J.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Moore, Thomas E.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Burch, James L.
(Southwest Research Inst. San Antonio, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
April 17, 2017
Publication Date
May 7, 2016
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Publisher: American Geophysical Union
Volume: 43
Issue: 9
ISSN: 0094-8276
Subject Category
Space Sciences (General)
Plasma Physics
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN41220
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG15CR64C
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG11PL02A
WBS: WBS 943396.05.03.02.10.01
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG13CR48C
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG15CR65C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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