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Electron Acceleration via Trapping inside Ion Mirror-mode Structures within A Large-scale Magnetic Flux Rope
Authors:
Z. H. Zhong,
H. Zhang,
M. Zhou,
D. B. Graham,
R. X. Tang,
X. H. Deng,
Yu. V. Khotyaintsev
Abstract:
Fermi acceleration is believed as a crucial process for the acceleration of energetic electrons within flux ropes (FRs) during magnetic reconnection. However, in finite-length FRs with a large core field, the finite contracting and the escaping of electrons along the axis can significantly limit the efficiency of Fermi acceleration. Using observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission in…
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Fermi acceleration is believed as a crucial process for the acceleration of energetic electrons within flux ropes (FRs) during magnetic reconnection. However, in finite-length FRs with a large core field, the finite contracting and the escaping of electrons along the axis can significantly limit the efficiency of Fermi acceleration. Using observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission in the magnetotail, we demonstrate that magnetic mirror structures inside the FR can effectively prevent the escape of energetic electrons and overcome the limitation of finite contraction. Energetic electrons were produced and formed a power-law energy distribution in these mirror structures. By evaluating the acceleration rates, we show that these energetic electrons can be continuously accelerated within the mirror structures near the central region of the FR. These results unveil a novel mechanism that is universally applicable to electron acceleration within FRs in space, laboratory, and astrophysical plasmas.
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Submitted 11 June, 2025;
originally announced June 2025.
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Topological Anderson Phase Transitions in Y-shaped Plasmonic Valley Metal-slabs
Authors:
Hui Chang Li,
Yun Shen,
Xiao Hua Deng
Abstract:
Throughout history, all developmental trajectories of civilization - encompassing progress, creation, and innovation - have fundamentally pursued the paradigm shift 'from disorder to order'. In photonics, investigations into disordered systems have primarily focused on foundational principles governing signal diffusion and localization. This paper addresses terahertz device development by examinin…
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Throughout history, all developmental trajectories of civilization - encompassing progress, creation, and innovation - have fundamentally pursued the paradigm shift 'from disorder to order'. In photonics, investigations into disordered systems have primarily focused on foundational principles governing signal diffusion and localization. This paper addresses terahertz device development by examining the dual role of disorder in photonic systems: while potentially compromising optical transmission stability, it simultaneously inspires innovative topological protection mechanisms. Building upon the symmetry-breaking induced valley-Hall topological Anderson phase transition in Y-shaped metallic structures, we achieve valley Chern number modulation through random rotation of constituent units, demonstrating progressive emergence of in-gap topological states with increasing disorder parameters and observing topological negative refraction phenomena. Furthermore, an effective Dirac two-band model is established to quantitatively characterize the evolution of bulk transport states under disorder variation. By strategically regulating disordered configurations to induce valley-Hall topological Anderson phase transitions, this research provides new pathways for overcoming critical technical challenges in terahertz devices, particularly transmission loss limitations.
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Submitted 14 April, 2025; v1 submitted 6 April, 2025;
originally announced April 2025.
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Rotating-modulated Higher-Order Topological States in a Split-ring Photonic Insulator
Authors:
Hui Chang Li,
Xiang Zhou,
Hai Lin Chi,
Wen Wen Wang,
Yun Shen,
Xiao Hua Deng
Abstract:
The emerging field of topology has brought device effects to a new level. Higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) go beyond traditional descriptions of bulk-edge correspondence, broadening the understanding of topologically insulating phases. In this paper, a second-order split-ring photonic crystal (SSPC) with zero-dimensional (0D) corner states and one-dimensional (1D) edge states is propose…
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The emerging field of topology has brought device effects to a new level. Higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) go beyond traditional descriptions of bulk-edge correspondence, broadening the understanding of topologically insulating phases. In this paper, a second-order split-ring photonic crystal (SSPC) with zero-dimensional (0D) corner states and one-dimensional (1D) edge states is proposed. Based on the coupling strength determined by the opening direction between the split-rings, the electronic transition strength of the electronic system is imitated, and the topological trivial and non-trivial transformation of the topological two-dimensional (2D) SSH model are realized by using the rotating split-ring lattice. Theory and simulation find that SSPC has non-trivial topological edge states that can be quantified by bulk polarization. As the opening direction of the split-rings gradually changes within one period, there will be transitions between four different topological polarizations of the lowest energy bands, which can be conveniently used to achieve transitions between different topological phases. Our research can be extended to higher dimensions and broaden research paths for higher-order photonic topological insulators and semimetals.
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Submitted 1 April, 2024; v1 submitted 29 March, 2024;
originally announced April 2024.
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Anisotropy of Magnetic Field Spectra at Kinetic Scales of Solar Wind Turbulence as Revealed by Parker Solar Probe in the Inner Heliosphere
Authors:
S. Y. Huang,
S. B. Xu,
J. Zhang,
F. Sahraoui,
N. Andres,
J. S. He,
Z. G. Yuan,
X. H. Deng,
K. Jiang,
Y. Y. Wei,
Q. Y. Xiong,
Z. Wang,
L. Yu,
R. T. Lin
Abstract:
Using the Parker Solar Probe data taken in the inner heliosphere, we investigate the power and spatial anisotropy of magnetic-field spectra at kinetic scales (i.e., around sub-ion scales) in solar wind turbulence in the inner heliosphere. We find that strong anisotropy of magnetic spectra occurs at kinetic scales with the strongest power in the perpendicular direction with respect to the local mag…
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Using the Parker Solar Probe data taken in the inner heliosphere, we investigate the power and spatial anisotropy of magnetic-field spectra at kinetic scales (i.e., around sub-ion scales) in solar wind turbulence in the inner heliosphere. We find that strong anisotropy of magnetic spectra occurs at kinetic scales with the strongest power in the perpendicular direction with respect to the local magnetic field (forming an angle theta_B with the mean flow velocity). The spectral index of magnetic spectra varies from -3.2 to -5.8 when the angle theta_B changes from 90 to 180 (or 0) deg, indicating that strong anisotropy of the spectral indices occurs at kinetic scales in the solar wind turbulence. Using a diagnosis based on the magnetic helicity, we show that the anisotropy of the spectral indices can be explained by the nature of the plasma modes that carry the cascade at kinetic scales. We discuss our findings in light of existing theories and current development in the field.
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Submitted 20 March, 2022;
originally announced March 2022.
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Electron-only Reconnection in Ion-scale Current Sheet at the Magnetopause
Authors:
S. Y. Huang,
Q. Y. Xiong,
L. F. Song,
J. Nan,
Z. G. Yuan,
K. Jiang,
X. H. Deng,
L. Yu
Abstract:
In the standard model of magnetic reconnection, both ions and electrons couple to the newly reconnected magnetic field lines and are ejected away from the reconnection diffusion region in the form of bidirectional burst ion and electron jets. Recent observations propose a new model: electron only magnetic reconnection without ion coupling in electron scale current sheet. Based on the data from Mag…
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In the standard model of magnetic reconnection, both ions and electrons couple to the newly reconnected magnetic field lines and are ejected away from the reconnection diffusion region in the form of bidirectional burst ion and electron jets. Recent observations propose a new model: electron only magnetic reconnection without ion coupling in electron scale current sheet. Based on the data from Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission, we observe a long extension inner electron diffusion region (EDR) at least 40 di away from the X line at the terrestrial Magnetopause, implying that the extension of EDR is much longer than the prediction of the theory and simulations. This inner EDR is embedded in an ion scale current sheet (the width of 4 di, di is ion inertial length). However, such ongoing magnetic reconnection was not accompanied with burst ion outflow, implying the presence of electron only reconnection in ion scale current sheet. Our observations present new challenge for understanding the model of standard magnetic reconnection and electron only reconnection model in electron scale current sheet.
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Submitted 27 September, 2021;
originally announced September 2021.
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Observational Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection in the Terrestrial Foreshock Region
Authors:
K. Jiang,
S. Y. Huang,
H. S. Fu,
Z. G. Yuan,
X. H. Deng,
Z. Wang,
Z. Z. Guo,
S. B. Xu,
Y. Y. Wei,
J. Zhang,
Z. H. Zhang,
Q. Y. Xiong,
L. Yu
Abstract:
Electron heating/acceleration in the foreshock, by which electrons may be energized beyond thermal energies prior to encountering the bow shock, is very important for the bow shock dynamics. And then these electrons would be more easily injected into a process like diffusive shock acceleration. Many mechanisms have been proposed to explain electrons heating/acceleration in the foreshock. Magnetic…
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Electron heating/acceleration in the foreshock, by which electrons may be energized beyond thermal energies prior to encountering the bow shock, is very important for the bow shock dynamics. And then these electrons would be more easily injected into a process like diffusive shock acceleration. Many mechanisms have been proposed to explain electrons heating/acceleration in the foreshock. Magnetic reconnection is one possible candidate. Taking advantage of the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, we present two magnetic reconnection events in the dawn-side and dusk-side ion foreshock region, respectively. Super-Alfvénic electron outflow, demagnetization of the electrons and the ions, and crescent electron distributions in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field are observed in the sub-ion-scale current sheets. Moreover, strong energy conversion from the fields to the plasmas and significant electron temperature enhancement are observed. Our observations provide direct evidence that magnetic reconnection could occur in the foreshock region and heat/accelerate the electrons therein.
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Submitted 23 September, 2021;
originally announced September 2021.
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The Ion Transition Range of Solar Wind Turbulence in the Inner Heliosphere: Parker Solar Probe Observations
Authors:
S. Y. Huang,
F. Sahraoui,
N. Andrés,
L. Z. Hadid,
Z. G. Yuan,
J. S. He,
J. S. Zhao,
S. Galtier,
J. Zhang,
X. H. Deng,
K. Jiang,
L. Yu,
S. B. Xu,
Q. Y. Xiong,
Y. Y. Wei,
T. Dudok de Wit,
S. D. Bale,
J. C. Kasper
Abstract:
The scaling of the turbulent spectra provides a key measurement that allows to discriminate between different theoretical predictions of turbulence. In the solar wind, this has driven a large number of studies dedicated to this issue using in-situ data from various orbiting spacecraft. While a semblance of consensus exists regarding the scaling in the MHD and dispersive ranges, the precise scaling…
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The scaling of the turbulent spectra provides a key measurement that allows to discriminate between different theoretical predictions of turbulence. In the solar wind, this has driven a large number of studies dedicated to this issue using in-situ data from various orbiting spacecraft. While a semblance of consensus exists regarding the scaling in the MHD and dispersive ranges, the precise scaling in the transition range and the actual physical mechanisms that control it remain open questions. Using the high-resolution data in the inner heliosphere from Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission, we find that the sub-ion scales (i.e., at the frequency f ~ [2, 9] Hz) follow a power-law spectrum f^a with a spectral index a varying between -3 and -5.7. Our results also show that there is a trend toward and anti-correlation between the spectral slopes and the power amplitudes at the MHD scales, in agreement with previous studies: the higher the power amplitude the steeper the spectrum at sub-ion scales. A similar trend toward an anti-correlation between steep spectra and increasing normalized cross helicity is found, in agreement with previous theoretical predictions about the imbalanced solar wind. We discuss the ubiquitous nature of the ion transition range in solar wind turbulence in the inner heliosphere.
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Submitted 24 January, 2021;
originally announced January 2021.
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Kinetic Scale Slow Solar Wind Turbulence in the Inner Heliosphere: Co-existence of Kinetic Alfvén Waves and Alfvén Ion Cyclotron Waves
Authors:
S. Y. Huang,
J. Zhang,
F. Sahraoui,
J. S. He,
Z. G. Yuan,
N. Andrés,
L. Z. Hadid,
X. H. Deng,
K. Jiang,
L. Yu,
Q. Y. Xiong,
Y. Y. Wei,
S. B. Xu,
S. D. Bale,
J. C. Kasper
Abstract:
The nature of the plasma wave modes around the ion kinetic scales in highly Alfvénic slow solar wind turbulence is investigated using data from the NASA's Parker Solar Probe taken in the inner heliosphere, at 0.18 Astronomical Unit (AU) from the sun. The joint distribution of the normalized reduced magnetic helicity $σ_m (θ_{RB}, τ)$ is obtained, where $θ_{RB}$ is the angle between the local mean…
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The nature of the plasma wave modes around the ion kinetic scales in highly Alfvénic slow solar wind turbulence is investigated using data from the NASA's Parker Solar Probe taken in the inner heliosphere, at 0.18 Astronomical Unit (AU) from the sun. The joint distribution of the normalized reduced magnetic helicity $σ_m (θ_{RB}, τ)$ is obtained, where $θ_{RB}$ is the angle between the local mean magnetic field and the radial direction and $τ$ is the temporal scale. Two populations around ion scales are identified: the first population has $σ_m (θ_{RB}, τ) < 0$ for frequencies (in the spacecraft frame) ranging from 2.1 to 26 Hz for $60^{\circ} < θ_{RB} < 130^{\circ}$, corresponding to kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs), and the second population has $σ_m (θ_{RB}, τ) > 0$ in the frequency range [1.4, 4.9] Hz for $θ_{RB} > 150^{\circ}$, corresponding to Alfvén ion Cyclotron Waves (ACWs). This demonstrates for the first time the co-existence of KAWs and ACWs in the slow solar wind in the inner heliosphere, which contrasts with previous observations in the slow solar wind at 1 AU. This discrepancy between 0.18 and 1 AU could be explained, either by i) a dissipation of ACWs via cyclotron resonance during their outward journey, or by ii) the high Alfvénicity of the slow solar wind at 0.18 AU that may be favorable for the excitation of ACWs.
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Submitted 8 June, 2020;
originally announced June 2020.
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Magnetospheric Multiscale Observations of Electron Vortex Magnetic Hole in the Magnetosheath Turbulent Plasma
Authors:
S. Y. Huang,
F. Sahraoui,
Z. G. Yuan,
J. S. He,
J. S. Zhao,
O. Le Contel,
X. H. Deng,
M. Zhou,
H. S. Fu,
Y. Pang,
Q. Q. Shi,
B. Lavraud,
J. Yang,
D. D. Wang,
X. D. Yu,
C. J. Pollock,
B. L. Giles,
R. B. Torbert,
C. T. Russell,
K. A. Goodrich,
D. J. Gershman,
T. E. Moore,
R. E. Ergun,
Y. V. Khotyaintsev,
P. -A. Lindqvist
, et al. (7 additional authors not shown)
Abstract:
We report the observations of an electron vortex magnetic hole corresponding to a new type of coherent structures in the magnetosheath turbulent plasma using the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission data. The magnetic hole is characterized by a magnetic depression, a density peak, a total electron temperature increase (with a parallel temperature decrease but a perpendicular temperature increas…
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We report the observations of an electron vortex magnetic hole corresponding to a new type of coherent structures in the magnetosheath turbulent plasma using the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission data. The magnetic hole is characterized by a magnetic depression, a density peak, a total electron temperature increase (with a parallel temperature decrease but a perpendicular temperature increase), and strong currents carried by the electrons. The current has a dip in the center of the magnetic hole and a peak in the outer region of the magnetic hole. The estimated size of the magnetic hole is about 0.23 \r{ho}i (~ 30 \r{ho}e) in the circular cross-section perpendicular to its axis, where \r{ho}i and \r{ho}e are respectively the proton and electron gyroradius. There are no clear enhancement seen in high energy electron fluxes, but an enhancement in the perpendicular electron fluxes at ~ 90° pitch angles inside the magnetic hole is seen, implying that the electron are trapped within it. The variations of the electron velocity components Vem and Ven suggest that an electron vortex is formed by trapping electrons inside the magnetic hole in the circular cross-section (in the M-N plane). These observations demonstrate the existence of a new type of coherent structures behaving as an electron vortex magnetic hole in turbulent space plasmas as predicted by recent kinetic simulations.
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Submitted 27 December, 2016;
originally announced December 2016.
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On the Existence of the Kolmogorov Inertial Range in the Terrestrial Magnetosheath Turbulence
Authors:
S. Y. Huang,
L. Z. Hadid,
F. Sahraoui,
Z. G. Yuan,
X. H. Deng
Abstract:
In the solar wind, power spectral density (PSD) of the magnetic field fluctuations generally follow the so-called Kolmogorov spectrum f^-5/3 in the inertial range, where the dynamics is thought to be dominated by nonlinear interactions between counter-propagating incompressible Alfvén wave parquets. These features are thought to be ubiquitous in space plasmas. The present study gives a new and mor…
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In the solar wind, power spectral density (PSD) of the magnetic field fluctuations generally follow the so-called Kolmogorov spectrum f^-5/3 in the inertial range, where the dynamics is thought to be dominated by nonlinear interactions between counter-propagating incompressible Alfvén wave parquets. These features are thought to be ubiquitous in space plasmas. The present study gives a new and more complex picture of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) turbulence as observed in the terrestrial magnetosheath. The study uses three years of in-situ data from the Cluster mission to explore the nature of the magnetic fluctuations at MHD scales in different locations within the magnetosheath, including flanks and subsolar regions. It is found that the magnetic field fluctuations at MHD scales generally have a PSD close to f^-1 (shallower than the Kolmogorov one f^-5/3) down to the ion characteristic scale, which recalls the energy containing scales of solar wind turbulence. The Kolmogorov spectrum is observed only away from the bow shock toward the flank and the magnetopause regions in 17% of the analyzed time intervals. Measuring the magnetic compressibility, it is shown that only a fraction (35%) of the observed Kolmogorov spectra were populated by shear Alfvénic fluctuations, whereas the majority of the events (65%) was found to be dominated by compressible magnetosonic-like fluctuations, which contrasts with well-known turbulence properties in the solar wind. This study gives a first comprehensive view of the origin of the f^-1 and the transition to the Kolmogorov inertial range; both questions remain controversial in solar wind turbulence.
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Submitted 27 December, 2016; v1 submitted 1 November, 2016;
originally announced November 2016.
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Kinetic Turbulence in the Terrestrial Magnetosheath: Cluster Observations
Authors:
S. Y. Huang,
F. Sahraoui,
X. H. Deng,
J. S. He,
Z. G. Yuan,
M. Zhou,
Y. Pang,
H. S. Fu
Abstract:
We present a first statistical study of subproton and electron scales turbulence in the terrestrial magnetosheath using the Cluster Search Coil Magnetometer (SCM) waveforms of the STAFF instrument measured in the frequency range [1,180] Hz. It is found that clear spectral breaks exist near the electron scale, which separate two power-law like frequency bands referred to as the dispersive and the e…
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We present a first statistical study of subproton and electron scales turbulence in the terrestrial magnetosheath using the Cluster Search Coil Magnetometer (SCM) waveforms of the STAFF instrument measured in the frequency range [1,180] Hz. It is found that clear spectral breaks exist near the electron scale, which separate two power-law like frequency bands referred to as the dispersive and the electron dissipation ranges. The frequencies of the breaks f_b are shown to be well correlated with the electron gyroscale ρ_e rather than with the electron inertial length de. The distribution of the slopes below fb was found to be narrow and peaks near -2.9, while that of the slopes above fb was found broader, peaks near -5.2 and has values as low as -7.5. This is the first time that such steep power-law spectra are reported in space plasma turbulence. These observations provide strong constraints on theoretical modeling of kinetic turbulence and dissipation in collisionless magnetized plasmas.
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Submitted 18 December, 2013;
originally announced December 2013.