Magnetospheric ion influence on magnetic reconnection at the duskside magnetopause

Abstract

Magnetospheric ions from the ring current, warm plasma cloak, and the plasmaspheric drainage plume all interact with the dusk flank magnetopause. During periods of strong magnetospheric convection, these ions may contribute significantly to the magnetospheric mass density at the magnetopause. Observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission Hot Plasma Composition Analyzer at the duskside magnetopause near reconnection X lines show that ions from the ring current and warm plasma cloak may have high mass densities. However, these mass densities are not as large as the mass density in the magnetosheath. The results suggest that except for possible influence from the plasmaspheric drainage plume, the other major magnetospheric ion populations do not greatly influence asymmetric reconnection at the duskside magnetopause.