Using Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms observations from four tail seasons, we study the three‐dimensional structure of the dipolarization front current sheet ...(DFCS), which demarcates the magnetic boundary of a dipolarizing flux bundle (DFB, the strong magnetic field region led by a dipolarization front) in Earth's magnetotail. An equatorial cross section of the DFCS is convex; a meridional cross section is consistent with a dipolarized field line. The equatorial flow pattern in the ambient plasma ahead of the DFCS exhibits diversions of opposite sense on its evening and morning sides. The magnetic field perturbations are consistent with local field‐aligned current generation of region‐2 sense ahead of the front and region‐1 sense at the front. The median thickness of the DFCS increases from 800 to 2000 km with increasing distance from the neutral sheet, indicating bundle compression near the neutral sheet. On a meridional cross section, DFCS's linear current density (1.2–1.8 nA/m) peaks ~±0.55 l from the neutral sheet (where l is the ambient cross‐tail current sheet half‐thickness, l ~1.5 RE in our database). This peak, reminiscent of active‐time cross‐tail current sheet bifurcation noted in past studies, suggests that the intense but thin DFCS (10 to 20 nA/m2) may be produced by redistribution (diversion) of the extended but weaker cross‐tail current (~1 nA/m2). Near the neutral sheet, the average DFCS current over the dipolarization front (DF) thickness is perpendicular to both the magnetic field interior to the DFB and the average field direction over the DF thickness. Away from the neutral sheet, the average current becomes progressively parallel to the internal field and the average field direction. The average current directions are indicative of region‐1‐sense field‐aligned current on the DF. As few as approximately three DFBs can carry sufficient total current that, if redirected into the auroral ionosphere, can account for the substorm current wedge's peak current for a sizable substorm (~1 MA). A collapsing DFB could thus be an elemental substorm current wedge, or “wedgelet,” that can divert a sizable portion of the cross‐tail current into the auroral ionosphere.
Key Points
The dipolarization front has the shape of a saddleThe dipolarization front current has field‐aligned components in region‐1 senseThe dipolarization front thickness and current density varies with location
We discuss results of a superposed epoch analysis of dipolarization fronts, rapid (δt < 30 s), high‐amplitude (δBz > 10 nT) increases in the northward magnetic field component, observed during six ...Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) conjunction events. All six fronts propagated earthward; time delays at multiple probes were used to determine their propagation velocity. We define typical magnetic and electric field and plasma parameter variations during dipolarization front crossings and estimate their characteristic gradient scales. The study reveals (1) a rapid 50% decrease in plasma density and ion pressure, (2) a factor of 2–3 increase in high‐energy (30–200 keV) electron flux and electron temperature, and (3) transient enhancements of ∼5 mV/m in duskward and earthward electric field components. Gradient scales of magnetic field, plasma density, and particle flux were found to be comparable to the ion thermal gyroradius. Current densities associated with the Bz increase are, on average, 20 nA/m2, 5–7 times larger than the current density in the cross‐tail current sheet. Because j · E > 0, the dipolarization fronts are kinetic‐scale dissipative regions with Joule heating rates of 10% of the total bursty bulk flow energy.
Key Points
Superposed epoch analysis of THEMIS dipolarization front events
Common pattern in field and particle variations during front crossings
Particle energization and energetic plasma transport
Sudden impulses (SIs) are an important source of ultra low frequency (ULF) wave activity throughout the Earth's magnetosphere. Most SI‐induced ULF wave events have been reported in the dayside ...magnetosphere; it is not clear when and how SIs drive ULF wave activity in the nightside plasma sheet. We examined the ULF response of the nightside plasma sheet to SIs using an ensemble of 13 SI events observed by THEMIS (Timed History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) satellites (probes). Only three of these events resulted in ULF wave activity. The periods of the waves are found to be 3.3, 6.0, and 7.6 min. East‐west magnetic and radial electric field perturbations, which typically indicate the toroidal mode, are found to be stronger and can have phase relationships consistent with standing waves. Our results suggest that the two largest‐amplitude ULF responses to SIs in the nightside plasma sheet are tailward‐moving vortices, which have previously been reported, and the dynamic response of cross‐tail currents in the magnetotail to maintain force balance with the solar wind, which has not previously been reported as a ULF wave driver. Both mechanisms could potentially drive standing Alfvén waves (toroidal modes) observed via the field‐line resonance mechanism. Furthermore, both involve frequency selection and a preference for certain driving conditions that can explain the small number of ULF wave events associated with SIs in the nightside plasma sheet.
Key Points
In 3 of 13 SI events, steady ULF wave is induced in the nightside plasma sheet
Field perturbations are usually consistent with standing toroidal Alfven waves
Tailward moving vortices or dynamic response of tail currents may explain
Recent observations have suggested that spatially localized flows of high‐temperature, low‐density plasma carrying a dipolarized magnetic field (dipolarizing flux bundles, DFBs) play a key role in ...hot plasma transport toward the inner magnetosphere. What controls plasma heating in DFBs and how do thermodynamic parameters (such as density, temperature, pressure, and specific entropy) and spectral properties of the DFB population depend on ambient plasma sheet properties and geocentric distance R remains unknown. By statistical analysis of 271 DFB events detected by the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms mission during the 2008–2009 tail seasons, we find that on average, plasma inside DFBs is a factor of 0.6 less dense and a factor of 1.5 to 2 hotter than ambient tail plasma. The radial profiles of average thermodynamic parameters inside and outside DFBs are similar; when fitted by the κ‐function, their energy spectra have similar κ‐exponents, but a factor of 2 larger peak energies inside DFBs. Our analysis suggests that average DFB plasma properties are closely linked to those of the ambient plasma sheet population. Estimations show that on average, adiabatic heating of the ambient plasma in the increased magnetic field is the major factor in DFB plasma heating.
Key Points
Statistical analysis of THEMIS observations
Dependences between plasma parameters inside and outside DFBs
Adiabatic heating is the main mechanism of plasma thermalization in DFBs
We investigate the current-induced switching of the Néel order in NiO(001)/Pt heterostructures, which is manifested electrically via the spin Hall magnetoresistance. Significant reversible changes in ...the longitudinal and transverse resistances are found at room temperature for a current threshold lying in the range of 10^{7} A/cm^{2}. The order-parameter switching is ascribed to the antiferromagnetic dynamics triggered by the (current-induced) antidamping torque, which orients the Néel order towards the direction of the writing current. This is in stark contrast to the case of antiferromagnets such as Mn_{2}Au and CuMnAs, where fieldlike torques induced by the Edelstein effect drive the Néel switching, therefore resulting in an orthogonal alignment between the Néel order and the writing current. Our findings can be readily generalized to other biaxial antiferromagnets, providing broad opportunities for all-electrical writing and readout in antiferromagnetic spintronics.
The limitation of nanograined materials is their strong tendency to coarsen at elevated temperatures. As grain size decreases into the nanoscale, grain coarsening occurs at much lower temperatures, ...as low as ambient temperatures for some metals. We discovered that nanometer-sized grains in pure copper and nickel produced from plastic deformation at low temperatures exhibit notable thermal stability below a critical grain size. The instability temperature rises substantially at smaller grain sizes, and the nanograins remain stable even above the recrystallization temperatures of coarse grains. The inherent thermal stability of nanograins originates from an autonomous grain boundary evolution to low-energy states due to activation of partial dislocations in plastic deformation.
Strong interplanetary shock interactions with the Earth's magnetosphere have great impacts on energetic particle dynamics in the magnetosphere. An interplanetary shock on 7 November 2004 (with the ...maximum solar wind dynamic pressure of ∼70 nPa) was observed by the Cluster constellation to induce significant ULF waves in the plasmasphere boundary, and energetic electrons (up to 2 MeV) were almost simultaneously accelerated when the interplanetary shock impinged upon the magnetosphere. In this paper, the relationship between the energetic electron bursts and the large shock‐induced ULF waves is studied. It is shown that the energetic electrons could be accelerated and decelerated by the observed ULF wave electric fields, and the distinct wave number of the poloidal and toroidal waves at different locations also indicates the different energy ranges of electrons resonating with these waves. For comparison, a rather weak interplanetary shock on 30 August 2001 (dynamic pressure ∼2.7 nPa) is also investigated. It is found that interplanetary shocks or solar wind pressure pulses with even small dynamic pressure change can have a nonnegligible role in the radiation belt dynamics.
Large scale epitaxial growth and transfer of monolayer MoS2 has attracted great attention in recent years. Here, we report the wafer-scale epitaxial growth of highly oriented continuous and uniform ...monolayer MoS2 films on single-crystalline sapphire wafers by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The epitaxial film is of high quality and stitched by many 0°, 60° domains and 60°-domain boundaries. Moreover, such wafer-scale monolayer MoS2 films can be transferred and stacked by a simple stamp-transfer process, and the substrate is reusable for subsequent growth. Our progress would facilitate the scalable fabrication of various electronic, valleytronic, and optoelectronic devices for practical applications.
We report on the evolving ion distributions associated with the arrival of an earthward propagating dipolarization front in the near‐Earth magnetotail using Time History of Events and Macroscale ...Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS). Ion distributions exhibit steady duskward anisotropy well before the front arrival, suggesting thin current sheet formation at ∼11 RE, during the growth phase of a moderate geomagnetic substorm. As the dipolarization front moves closer, an additional, earthward streaming ion population appears, resulting in an earthward velocity moment. This population eventually overwhelms the preexisting duskward anisotropy and merges with the earthward convecting bulk flow once the dipolarization front arrives. Test‐particle simulations show that the observed ion evolution is consistent with a picture of ions reflected and accelerated by the approaching front and moving ahead of it.
Arrestins comprise a family of signal regulators of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which include arrestins 1 to 4. While arrestins 1 and 4 are visual arrestins dedicated to rhodopsin, arrestins ...2 and 3 (Arr2 and Arr3) are β-arrestins known to regulate many nonvisual GPCRs. The dynamic and promiscuous coupling of Arr2 to nonvisual GPCRs has posed technical challenges to tackle the basis of arrestin binding to GPCRs. Here we report the structure of Arr2 in complex with neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1), which reveals an overall assembly that is strikingly different from the visual arrestin-rhodopsin complex by a 90° rotation of Arr2 relative to the receptor. In this new configuration, intracellular loop 3 (ICL3) and transmembrane helix 6 (TM6) of the receptor are oriented toward the N-terminal domain of the arrestin, making it possible for GPCRs that lack the C-terminal tail to couple Arr2 through their ICL3. Molecular dynamics simulation and crosslinking data further support the assembly of the Arr2‒NTSR1 complex. Sequence analysis and homology modeling suggest that the Arr2‒NTSR1 complex structure may provide an alternative template for modeling arrestin-GPCR interactions.
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