Space Physics
Solar wind electrons play an important role in the energy balance of the solar wind acceleration by carrying energy into interplanetary space in the form of electron heat flux. The heat flux is stored in the complex electron velocity…
Aims: We present the first measurements of the solar-wind angular-momentum (AM) flux recorded by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft. Our aim is the validation of these measurements to support future studies of the Sun's AM loss. Methods: We…
Impacts of dust grains on spacecraft are known to produce typical impulsive signals in the voltage waveform recorded at the terminals of electric antennas. Such signals are routinely detected by the Time Domain Sampler (TDS) system of the…
Solar Orbiter was launched on February 10, 2020 with the purpose of investigating solar and heliospheric physics using a payload of instruments designed for both remote and in-situ sensing. Similar to the recently launched Parker Solar…
Electric field measurements of the Time Domain Sampler (TDS) receiver, part of the Radio and Plasma Waves (RPW) instrument on board Solar Orbiter, often exhibit very intense broadband wave emissions at frequencies below 20~kHz in the…
A variety of kinetic waves develop in the solar wind. The relationship between these waves and larger-scale structures, such as current sheets and ongoing turbulence remain a topic of investigation. Similarly, the instabilities producing…
We use the plasma density based on measurements of the probe-to-spacecraft potential in combination with magnetic field measurements by MAG to study fields and density fluctuations in the solar wind observed by Solar Orbiter during the…
Solar Orbiter observed an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) event at 0.8 AU on 2020 April 19. The ICME was also observed by Wind at 1 AU on 2020 April 20. An interplanetary shock wave was driven in front of the ICME. We focus on…
On 2020 April 19 a coronal mass ejection (CME) was detected in situ by Solar Orbiter at a heliocentric distance of about 0.8 AU. The CME was later observed in situ on April 20th by the Wind and BepiColombo spacecraft whilst BepiColombo was…
Wakes behind spacecraft caused by supersonic drifting positive ions are common in plasmas and disturb in situ measurements. We review the impact of wakes on observations by the Electric Field and Wave double-probe instruments on the Cluster…
Magnetic reconnection X-lines have been observed to be more common duskward of midnight. Thin current sheets have also been postulated to be a necessary precondition for reconnection onset. We take advantage of the MMS tetrahedral formation…
Depression in magnetic field strength with a scale below one proton gyroradius is referred to as kinetic-size magnetic hole (KSMH). KSMHs are frequently observed near terrestrial space environments and are thought to play an important role…
In magnetospheric missions, burst mode data sampling should be triggered in the presence of processes of scientific or operational interest. We present an unsupervised classification method for magnetospheric regions, that could constitute…
A study of the role of microinstabilities at the reconnection separatrix can play in heating the electrons during the transition from inflow to outflow is being presented. We find that very strong flow shears at the separatrix layer lead to…
Particle drifts perpendicular to the background magnetic field have been proposed by some authors as an explanation for the very efficient perpendicular transport of solar energetic particles (SEPs). This process, however, competes with…
This review summarizes the research of Mercury's magnetosphere in the Post-MESSENGER era and compares its dynamics to those in other planetary magnetospheres, especially to those in Earth's magnetosphere. This review starts by introducing…
This research provides an analysis of extreme events in the solar wind and in the magnetosphere due to disturbances of the solar wind. Extreme value theory has been applied to a 20 year data set from the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE)…
Whistler mode wave is a fundamental perturbation of electromagnetic fields and plasmas in various environments including planetary space, laboratory and astrophysics. The origin and evolution of the waves are a long-standing question due to…
One of the most important problems of magnetotail dynamics is the substorm onset and the related instability of the magneotail current sheet. Since the simplest 2D current sheet configuration with monotonic $B_z$ was proven to be stable to…
Resonances with electromagnetic whistler-mode waves are the primary driver for the formation and dynamics of energetic electron fluxes in various space plasma systems, including shock waves and planetary radiation belts. The basic and most…