Ion-Mediated Tearing and Kink Instabilities in the Earth's Magnetosphere: Hybrid-Vlasov Simulations

I. Zaitsev; G. Cozzani; M. Alho; K. Horaites; H. Zhou; Adam Kit; Y. Pfau-Kempf; S. Hoilijoki; U. Ganse; M. Battarbee; K. Papadakis; J. Suni; M. Dubart; F. Tesema-Kebede; A. Workayehu; V. Tarvus; L. Kotipalo; V. Koikkalainen; L. Turc; M. Palmroth

doi:10.1029/2024JA032615

Ion-Mediated Tearing and Kink Instabilities in the Earth's Magnetosphere: Hybrid-Vlasov Simulations

I. Zaitsev^*
, G. Cozzani
, M. Alho
, K. Horaites
, H. Zhou
, Adam Kit
, Y. Pfau-Kempf
, S. Hoilijoki
, U. Ganse
, M. Battarbee
, K. Papadakis
, J. Suni
, M. Dubart
, F. Tesema-Kebede
, A. Workayehu
, V. Tarvus
, L. Kotipalo
, V. Koikkalainen
, L. Turc
, M. Palmroth

^*Corresponding author for this work

BA4511 Fusion energy

University of Helsinki
Boston University
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven)
University of Bergen
Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We explore the three-dimensional structure of ion-kinetic instabilities in a thin current layer using a hybrid-Vlasov simulation of the Earth's magnetosphere. The simulation shows the simultaneous growth of tearing and kinking instabilities, which develop in the Sun-Earth and dawn-dusk directions, respectively, within the magnetotail current sheet. The formation of flux ropes indicates the development of the tearing instability, while flapping-type cross-tail oscillations arise from the kink instability. We consider both instabilities as independent polarizations, albeit sharing a common source: demagnetized ions forming crescent-shape distributions at the center of the current layer. These oscillations exhibit spatiotemporal characteristics within the proton-scale range, featuring a growth time on the order of 40–80 proton gyroperiods and a wavelength of approximately 15–30 proton skin depths.

Original language	English
Article number	e2024JA032615
Journal	Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Volume	130
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JA032615
Publication status	Published - Jan 2025
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

Vlasiator is developed with funding from the European Research Council Starting Grant 200141-QuESpace and Consolidator Grant 682068—PRESTISSIMO. We also appreciate the support provided by the CSC-IT Center for Science in Finland and the Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe Tier-0 supercomputer infrastructure in HLRS Stuttgart (project number PRACE-2019204998). M.Palmroth acknowledges the following Academy of Finland Grants 352846, 345701, 347795. Y. Pfau-Kempf thanks the Academy of Finland (KIMCHI project, Grant 339756). L.Turc acknowledges the University of Helsinki 3-year research Grant 2020–2022 and the Academy of Finland Grants 322544, 328893, and 353197. S. Hoilijoki acknowledges Finnish Centre of Excellence in Research of Sustainable Space, Project 336807. The work of Adam Kit was partially supported by the Academy of Finland Grant 355460.

Keywords

hybrid-Vlasov simulation
instabilities
magnetosphere

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10.1029/2024JA032615Licence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

Zaitsev, I., Cozzani, G., Alho, M., Horaites, K., Zhou, H., Kit, A., Pfau-Kempf, Y., Hoilijoki, S., Ganse, U., Battarbee, M., Papadakis, K., Suni, J., Dubart, M., Tesema-Kebede, F., Workayehu, A., Tarvus, V., Kotipalo, L., Koikkalainen, V., Turc, L., & Palmroth, M. (2025). Ion-Mediated Tearing and Kink Instabilities in the Earth's Magnetosphere: Hybrid-Vlasov Simulations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 130(1), Article e2024JA032615. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JA032615

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abstract = "We explore the three-dimensional structure of ion-kinetic instabilities in a thin current layer using a hybrid-Vlasov simulation of the Earth's magnetosphere. The simulation shows the simultaneous growth of tearing and kinking instabilities, which develop in the Sun-Earth and dawn-dusk directions, respectively, within the magnetotail current sheet. The formation of flux ropes indicates the development of the tearing instability, while flapping-type cross-tail oscillations arise from the kink instability. We consider both instabilities as independent polarizations, albeit sharing a common source: demagnetized ions forming crescent-shape distributions at the center of the current layer. These oscillations exhibit spatiotemporal characteristics within the proton-scale range, featuring a growth time on the order of 40–80 proton gyroperiods and a wavelength of approximately 15–30 proton skin depths.",

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author = "I. Zaitsev and G. Cozzani and M. Alho and K. Horaites and H. Zhou and Adam Kit and Y. Pfau-Kempf and S. Hoilijoki and U. Ganse and M. Battarbee and K. Papadakis and J. Suni and M. Dubart and F. Tesema-Kebede and A. Workayehu and V. Tarvus and L. Kotipalo and V. Koikkalainen and L. Turc and M. Palmroth",

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Zaitsev, I, Cozzani, G, Alho, M, Horaites, K, Zhou, H, Kit, A, Pfau-Kempf, Y, Hoilijoki, S, Ganse, U, Battarbee, M, Papadakis, K, Suni, J, Dubart, M, Tesema-Kebede, F, Workayehu, A, Tarvus, V, Kotipalo, L, Koikkalainen, V, Turc, L & Palmroth, M 2025, 'Ion-Mediated Tearing and Kink Instabilities in the Earth's Magnetosphere: Hybrid-Vlasov Simulations', Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, vol. 130, no. 1, e2024JA032615. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JA032615

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AU - Zaitsev, I.

AU - Cozzani, G.

AU - Alho, M.

AU - Horaites, K.

AU - Zhou, H.

AU - Kit, Adam

AU - Pfau-Kempf, Y.

AU - Hoilijoki, S.

AU - Ganse, U.

AU - Battarbee, M.

AU - Papadakis, K.

AU - Suni, J.

AU - Dubart, M.

AU - Tesema-Kebede, F.

AU - Workayehu, A.

AU - Tarvus, V.

AU - Kotipalo, L.

AU - Koikkalainen, V.

AU - Turc, L.

AU - Palmroth, M.

PY - 2025/1

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AB - We explore the three-dimensional structure of ion-kinetic instabilities in a thin current layer using a hybrid-Vlasov simulation of the Earth's magnetosphere. The simulation shows the simultaneous growth of tearing and kinking instabilities, which develop in the Sun-Earth and dawn-dusk directions, respectively, within the magnetotail current sheet. The formation of flux ropes indicates the development of the tearing instability, while flapping-type cross-tail oscillations arise from the kink instability. We consider both instabilities as independent polarizations, albeit sharing a common source: demagnetized ions forming crescent-shape distributions at the center of the current layer. These oscillations exhibit spatiotemporal characteristics within the proton-scale range, featuring a growth time on the order of 40–80 proton gyroperiods and a wavelength of approximately 15–30 proton skin depths.

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M1 - e2024JA032615

ER -

Ion-Mediated Tearing and Kink Instabilities in the Earth's Magnetosphere: Hybrid-Vlasov Simulations

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Ion-Mediated Tearing and Kink Instabilities in the Earth's Magnetosphere: Hybrid-Vlasov Simulations

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