HR: 0800h
AN: SM11A-0311 [Abstracts]
TI: THEMIS Observations of Mirror Mode Structures in the Magnetosheath
AU: * Joy, S P
EM: sjoy@igpp.ucla.edu
AF: University of California, Los Angeles, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, 405
Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, United States
AU: * Joy, S P
EM: sjoy@igpp.ucla.edu
AF: University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, 405
Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, United States
AU: Angelopoulos, V A
EM: vassilis@ucla.edu
AF: University of California, Los Angeles, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, 405
Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, United States
AU: Angelopoulos, V A
EM: vassilis@ucla.edu
AF: University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, 405
Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, United States
AU: Kivelson, M G
EM: mkivelson@igpp.ucla.edu
AF: University of California, Los Angeles, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, 405
Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, United States
AU: Kivelson, M G
EM: mkivelson@igpp.ucla.edu
AF: University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, 405
Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, United States
AU: Walker, R J
EM: rwalker@igpp.ucla.edu
AF: University of California, Los Angeles, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, 405
Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, United States
AU: Walker, R J
EM: rwalker@igpp.ucla.edu
AF: University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, 405
Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, United States
AU: McFaddenn, J P
AF: University of California, Berkeley, Space Science Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, Berkley, CA
94720-7450, United States
AU: Carlson, C W
AF: University of California, Berkeley, Space Science Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, Berkley, CA
94720-7450, United States
AU: Glassmeier, K
AF: Technische Universitat Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr 3, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
AU: Auster, U
AF: Technische Universitat Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr 3, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany
AB:
Mirror modes structures are commonly observed in planetary magnetosheaths, cometary sheaths, and other
plasmas with anisotropic temperature distributions. Here we present the preliminary analysis of a wave train
event observed by the five THEMIS spacecraft on May 19, 2007 from 02:40 to 02:50 UT. During this event, all of
the spacecraft returned high time resolution magnetic field and plasma data. All five spacecraft observed
compressional fluctuations in the magnetic field that are in anti-phase with the plasma pressure fluctuations, as
is expected for mirror modes. The two spacecraft closest to the Earth, and presumably closest to the
magnetopause, observed magnetic field dips (decreases relative to the background field). The other three
spacecraft were closely spaced approximately 2.5 RE further from the Earth. These more distant spacecraft
observed a train of quasi-periodic field fluctuations with possibly a few magnetic peaks (increases relative to the
background field) near the end of the event. We will present the plasma distribution functions and anisotropies
for each of the spacecraft before, during, and after the event and relate them to the type of magnetic structures
observed. In addition, we will discuss how these data compare to our observations of mirror mode structures in
the Jovian magnetosheath.
DE: 2724 Magnetopause and boundary layers
DE: 2728 Magnetosheath
DE: 2752 MHD waves and instabilities (2149, 6050, 7836)
DE: 2772 Plasma waves and instabilities (2471)
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting