Atomic and Molecular Nitrogen Ions at the Dayside Magnetopause During the 2024 Mother's Day Storm
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866929754228129792 |
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| author | Gomez, R. G. Fuselier, S. A. Vines, S. K. Goldstein, J. Burch, J. L. Strangeway, R. J. |
| author_facet | Gomez, R. G. Fuselier, S. A. Vines, S. K. Goldstein, J. Burch, J. L. Strangeway, R. J. |
| contents | Ion measurements made with the Hot Plasma Composition Analyzers of the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS-HPCAs) during the Mother's Day Storm (Gannon Storm) of 10-13 May 2024 yield the first observations of atomic and molecular nitrogen ions in the Earth's dayside outer magnetosphere. A population of ions identified as doubly charged nitrogen and oxygen was also measured. These observations were made within a highly compressed magnetosphere at a geocentric distance of ~6 Earth Radii during the early recovery phase of the storm. From the ion composition measurements and accompanying magnetic field data, we determine the reconnection rate at the magnetopause; we compare this result to a model reconnection rate that assumes the presence of only atomic oxygen and hydrogen. The heavy ion-laden-mass density in the magnetosphere was greater than the shocked solar wind mass density in the magnetosheath. Despite these conditions, magnetic reconnection still occurred at the magnetopause. |
| format | Preprint |
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arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_08878 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Atomic and Molecular Nitrogen Ions at the Dayside Magnetopause During the 2024 Mother's Day Storm Gomez, R. G. Fuselier, S. A. Vines, S. K. Goldstein, J. Burch, J. L. Strangeway, R. J. Space Physics Instrumentation and Detectors Plasma Physics Ion measurements made with the Hot Plasma Composition Analyzers of the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS-HPCAs) during the Mother's Day Storm (Gannon Storm) of 10-13 May 2024 yield the first observations of atomic and molecular nitrogen ions in the Earth's dayside outer magnetosphere. A population of ions identified as doubly charged nitrogen and oxygen was also measured. These observations were made within a highly compressed magnetosphere at a geocentric distance of ~6 Earth Radii during the early recovery phase of the storm. From the ion composition measurements and accompanying magnetic field data, we determine the reconnection rate at the magnetopause; we compare this result to a model reconnection rate that assumes the presence of only atomic oxygen and hydrogen. The heavy ion-laden-mass density in the magnetosphere was greater than the shocked solar wind mass density in the magnetosheath. Despite these conditions, magnetic reconnection still occurred at the magnetopause. |
| title | Atomic and Molecular Nitrogen Ions at the Dayside Magnetopause During the 2024 Mother's Day Storm |
| topic | Space Physics Instrumentation and Detectors Plasma Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.08878 |