Geoelectric Field Caused by Flux Transfer Events in an Ionosphere-Coupled Vlasiator Simulation

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Hauptverfasser: Horaites, Konstantinos, Alho, Markku, Pfau-Kempf, Yann, Ganse, Urs, Workayehu, Abiyot, Suni, Jonas, Tesema, Fasil, Juusola, Liisa, Cozzani, Giulia, Hoilijoki, Sanni, Zaitsev, Ivan, Kavosi, Shiva, Palmroth, Minna
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Veröffentlicht: 2026
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author Horaites, Konstantinos
Alho, Markku
Pfau-Kempf, Yann
Ganse, Urs
Workayehu, Abiyot
Suni, Jonas
Tesema, Fasil
Juusola, Liisa
Cozzani, Giulia
Hoilijoki, Sanni
Zaitsev, Ivan
Kavosi, Shiva
Palmroth, Minna
author_facet Horaites, Konstantinos
Alho, Markku
Pfau-Kempf, Yann
Ganse, Urs
Workayehu, Abiyot
Suni, Jonas
Tesema, Fasil
Juusola, Liisa
Cozzani, Giulia
Hoilijoki, Sanni
Zaitsev, Ivan
Kavosi, Shiva
Palmroth, Minna
contents We report on the relationship between flux transfer events (FTEs) at Earth's magnetopause and the geoelectric field that is induced near the FTEs' magnetic footpoints. We study this system using the global hybrid-Vlasov code Vlasiator, which has recently been extended to model ionospheric physics. We also highlight the significance of 3D magnetic null points, which in our simulation can separate the FTEs into multiple flux ropes. Near the null points, the coiled FTE magnetic field lines are rerouted towards Earth, so that the magnetic footpoints are planted near the Region 1 ionospheric current system. The helicities of the flux ropes are organized by the y-component (GSE) of the magnetic field at the Earth's magnetopause. This occurs in our simulation due to the absence of a y-component of the interplanetary magnetic field, which would normally supply the FTE guide field that determines the helicity. We observe Alfvenic, Earthward-flowing field-aligned currents generated near the magnetopause that correlate with the passage of FTEs nearby. These pulses of current coincide with the formation of rotational geoelectric field structures, that appear near the noon meridian and propagate around the auroral oval towards the nightside.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_02330
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Geoelectric Field Caused by Flux Transfer Events in an Ionosphere-Coupled Vlasiator Simulation
Horaites, Konstantinos
Alho, Markku
Pfau-Kempf, Yann
Ganse, Urs
Workayehu, Abiyot
Suni, Jonas
Tesema, Fasil
Juusola, Liisa
Cozzani, Giulia
Hoilijoki, Sanni
Zaitsev, Ivan
Kavosi, Shiva
Palmroth, Minna
Space Physics
We report on the relationship between flux transfer events (FTEs) at Earth's magnetopause and the geoelectric field that is induced near the FTEs' magnetic footpoints. We study this system using the global hybrid-Vlasov code Vlasiator, which has recently been extended to model ionospheric physics. We also highlight the significance of 3D magnetic null points, which in our simulation can separate the FTEs into multiple flux ropes. Near the null points, the coiled FTE magnetic field lines are rerouted towards Earth, so that the magnetic footpoints are planted near the Region 1 ionospheric current system. The helicities of the flux ropes are organized by the y-component (GSE) of the magnetic field at the Earth's magnetopause. This occurs in our simulation due to the absence of a y-component of the interplanetary magnetic field, which would normally supply the FTE guide field that determines the helicity. We observe Alfvenic, Earthward-flowing field-aligned currents generated near the magnetopause that correlate with the passage of FTEs nearby. These pulses of current coincide with the formation of rotational geoelectric field structures, that appear near the noon meridian and propagate around the auroral oval towards the nightside.
title Geoelectric Field Caused by Flux Transfer Events in an Ionosphere-Coupled Vlasiator Simulation
topic Space Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.02330