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Alexandrova et al. 2006
Alexandrova, O., Mangeney, A., Maksimovic, M., Cornilleau-Wehrlin, N., Bosqued, J.-M. and André, M. (2006). Alfvén vortex filaments observed in magnetosheath downstream of a quasi-perpendicular bow shock. Journal of Geophysical Research 111: doi: 10.1029/2006JA011934. issn: 0148-0227.

Magnetic field fluctuations in the frequency range <0.02--12.5> Hz are studied with the four Cluster satellites in the Earth magnetosheath downstream of a quasi-perpendicular bow shock. The turbulent spectrum presents a spectral break accompanied by a broad maximum usually interpreted as due to Alfv¿n ion cyclotron waves. In this paper we establish that this spectral knee corresponds to space-localized coherent magnetic structures in the form of Alfv¿n vortices. The Alfv¿n vortex is a nonlinear cylindrical Alfv¿n wave, quasi-parallel to the mean magnetic field B 0 and propagating in a plane perpendicular to B 0. In this plane the observed vortices are localized within 20c/ω pi . The frequent observations of such structures indicate their stability in the plasma. Therefore the Alfv¿n vortices can be an important element in the magnetosheath turbulence. The possible origins of these vortices, such as a strong turbulence or the filamentation instability of an Alfv¿n wave, are discussed.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetosheath, Space Plasma Physics, MHD waves and instabilities (2149, 2752, 6050), Space Plasma Physics, Neutral particles, Space Plasma Physics, Turbulence
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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