Zoom in to MMS and Magnetopause Reconnection

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  • 
    ID: 4639 Visualization

    MMS Sees a New Type of Reconnection

    May 9th, 2018
    (updated Aug. 25th, 2023)

    The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission consists of four identical satellites that traverse various regions of Earth's magnetosphere measuring the particles and electric and magnetic field which influence them.In the turbulent plasma between Earth's magnetopause and bow shock, a region called the magnetosheath, the MMS satellite constellation has measured multiple jets of energetic electrons between magnetic bubbles. This appears to be a new 'flavor' of magnetic reconnection based on electrons and occuring on smaller time and spatial scales than the standard model of magnetic reconnection with ions.In these data visualizations, the arrows represent the data collected by the spacecraft. To better comprehend changes as the spacecraft moves along, the data are allowed to 'echo' along the spacecraft trail. The length of the vectors represent the relative magnitude of the vector. However, the electron and proton vectors are scaled so equal velocities correspond to vectors of equal magnitude.Magenta represents the direction and magnitude of the magnetic field at the spacecraft position.Green represents the direction and magnitude of the net electric current created by the motion of the electrons and ions measured at the spacecraft position.The four MMS spacecraft are represented by colored spheres, corresponding to the plotted data lines in the lower graphicMMS1MMS2MMS3MMS4The clocks on MMS are synchronized for the TAI (International Atomic Time) system provided through the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. It provides a high-precision time reference for comparing MMS measurements to other datasets. ||

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  • 
    ID: 4549 Visualization

    MMS Phase 2b: Transitioning to Magnetosphere Science on the Darkside

    Feb. 9th, 2017
    (updated Aug. 25th, 2023)

    Visualization of the spacecraft orbit transition from apogee at the dayside magnetopause to the nightside magnetopause. || Completing its study of magnetic reconnection at the boundary between Earth and the sun, the MMS spacecraft fleet transitions its orbit to studying magnetospheric events near the shadow of Earth.Current scheduled maneuver times (subject to change) are:February 1, 2017: Resize perigee (the point on the orbit closest to Earth) to 60kmFebruary 9, 2017: First apogee (point on the orbit farthest from Earth) raising maneuverApril 8, 2017: Final apogee raising maneuverApril 16, 2017: Perigee resizingApril 26, 2017: Reinitializing formation flyingThe magnetosphere boundary represents a point of balance between the pressure of the solar wind passing Earth and the outward magnetic pressure of Earth's magnetic field. The location in this visualization is representative at may not accurately reflect the position relative to the spacecraft at any given future time. ||

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  • 
    ID: 4454 Visualization

    MMS Fly Along with Magnetopause Reconnection

    May 12th, 2016
    (updated Aug. 25th, 2023)

    Fly along with MMS satellite configuration with particle and field measurements. || In this data visualization, we fly along with the MMS spacecraft in tetrahedral formation. The mesh structure in the distance is the magnetopause.Each image frame corresponds to a time step of 30 milliseconds, one of the faster data sampling modes for MMS. The arrows represent the data collected by the spacecraft. To better comprehend changes as the spacecraft moves along, the data are allowed to 'echo' along the spacecraft trail. The length of the vectors represent the relative magnitude of the vector. However, the electron and proton vectors are scaled so equal velocities correspond to vectors of equal magnitude.Magenta represents the direction and magnitude of the magnetic field at the spacecraft position.Yellow represents the direction and magnitude of the bulk motion (total average) velocity of the electrons measured at the spacecraft position.Blue represents the direction and magnitude of the bulk motion (total average) velocity of the protons measured at the spacecraft position. ||

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  • 
    ID: 4460 Visualization

    Data Tour of MMS and Magnetopause Reconnection

    May 12th, 2016
    (updated Aug. 25th, 2023)

    A slow fly-around of the MMS tetrahedral formation to better view the 3-dimensional structure of the data. || In this data visualization, we fly around with the MMS spacecraft in tetrahedral formation. The mesh structure in the distance is the magnetopause.Each image frame corresponds to a time step of 30 milliseconds, one of the faster data sampling modes for MMS. The arrows represent the data collected by the spacecraft. To better comprehend changes as the spacecraft moves along, the data are allowed to 'echo' along the spacecraft trail. The length of the vectors represent the relative magnitude of the vector. However, the electron and proton vectors are scaled so equal velocities correspond to vectors of equal magnitude.Magenta represents the direction and magnitude of the magnetic field at the spacecraft position.Yellow represents the direction and magnitude of the bulk motion (total average) velocity of the electrons measured at the spacecraft position.Blue represents the direction and magnitude of the bulk motion (total average) velocity of the protons measured at the spacecraft position. ||

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  • 
    ID: 12239 Produced Video

    MMS First Results

    May 12th, 2016
    (updated Aug. 25th, 2023)

    This short video outlines the MMS mission and its first results. Since it launched, MMS has made more than 4,000 trips through the magnetic boundaries around Earth, each time gathering information about the way the magnetic fields and particles move. A surprising result was that at the moment of interconnection between the sun’s magnetic field lines and those of Earth the crescents turned abruptly so that the electrons flowed along the field lines. By watching these electron tracers, MMS made the first observation of the predicted breaking and interconnection of magnetic fields in space. Credit: NASA/GSFCWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel. ||

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    ID: 12280 Produced Video

    Seeing Earth's Magnetism

    June 14th, 2016
    (updated May 3rd, 2023)

    NASA spacecraft fly through a magnetic explosion in space, and scientists visualize the result. || On October 16, 2015, four spacecraft of NASA’s MMS mission made the first observations of what happens when magnetic fields around Earth connect and explosively realign. The process, called magnetic reconnection, occurs near the boundary where Earth’s protective magnetic environment, known as the magnetosphere, encounters the sun’s solar wind. The rearrangement of magnetic field lines happens in the blink of an eye, and can unleash a massive burst of energy that accelerates charged particles from the sun into the magnetosphere. To measure the behavior of these particles and changes to Earth’s magnetic field, the MMS observatories are equipped with a total of 100 sensors that gather multiple data points every second as they travel through known reconnection sites in space. Now, scientists have used this data to create a visualization that shows the flow of particles before, during and after magnetic reconnection. Because magnetic reconnection is one of the prime drivers of space radiation, it is a key factor in the quest to learn more about our space environment and protect our spacecraft and astronauts as we explore farther and farther from our home planet. Understanding how particles move during these events can also help scientists create improved models that predict space weather. Watch the video to see the visualization. ||

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