# Cold and warm electrons at comet 67P [CL]

Strong electron cooling on the neutral gas in cometary comae has been predicted for a long time, but actual measurements of low electron temperature are scarce. We present in situ measurements of plasma density, electron temperature and spacecraft potential by the Rosetta Langmuir probe instrument, LAP. Data acquired within a few hundred km from the nucleus are dominated by a warm component with electron temperature typically 5–10 eV at all heliocentric distances covered (1.25 to 3.83 AU). A cold component, with temperature no higher than about 0.1 eV, appears in the data as short (few to few tens of seconds) pulses of high probe current, indicating local enhancement of plasma density as well as a decrease in electron temperature. These pulses first appeared around 3 AU and were seen for longer periods close to perihelion. The general pattern of pulse appearance follows that of neutral gas and plasma density. We have not identified any periods with only cold electrons present. The electron flux to Rosetta was always dominated by higher energies, driving the spacecraft potential to order -10 V. The warm (5–10 eV) electron population is interpreted as electrons retaining the energy they obtained when released in the ionisation process. The sometimes observed cold populations with electron temperatures below 0.1 eV verify collisional cooling in the coma. The cold electrons were only observed together with the warm population. The general appearance of the cold population appears to be consistent with a Haser-like model, implicitly supporting also the coupling of ions to the neutral gas. The expanding cold plasma is unstable, forming filaments that we observe as pulses.

A. Eriksson, I. Engelhardt, M. Andre, et. al.
Thu, 25 May 17
10/44

# Nature of Kinetic Scale Turbulence in the Earth's Magnetosheath [CL]

We present a combined observational and theoretical analysis to investigate the nature of plasma turbulence at kinetic scales in the Earth’s magnetosheath. In the first decade of the kinetic range, just below the ion gyroscale, the turbulence was found to be similar to that in the upstream solar wind: predominantly anisotropic, low-frequency and kinetic Alfv\’en in nature. A key difference, however, is that the magnetosheath ions are typically much hotter than the electrons, $T_\mathrm{i}\gg T_\mathrm{e}$, which, together with $\beta_\mathrm{i}\sim 1$, leads to a change in behaviour in the second decade, close to electron scales. The turbulence here is characterised by an increased magnetic compressibility, following a mode we term the inertial kinetic Alfv\’en wave, and a steeper spectrum of magnetic fluctuations, consistent with the prediction $E_B(k_\perp)\propto k_\perp^{-11/3}$ that we obtain from a set of nonlinear equations. This regime of plasma turbulence may also be relevant for other astrophysical environments with $T_\mathrm{i}\gg T_\mathrm{e}$, such as the solar corona, hot accretion flows, and regions downstream of collisionless shocks.

C. Chen and S. Boldyrev
Thu, 25 May 17
23/44

# Origin and Structures of Solar Eruptions I: Magnetic Flux Rope (Invited Review) [SSA]

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar flares are the large-scale and most energetic eruptive phenomena in our solar system and able to release a large quantity of plasma and magnetic flux from the solar atmosphere into the solar wind. When these high-speed magnetized plasmas along with the energetic particles arrive at the Earth, they may interact with the magnetosphere and ionosphere, and seriously affect the safety of human high-tech activities in outer space. The travel time of a CME to 1 AU is about 1-3 days, while energetic particles from the eruptions arrive even earlier. An efficient forecast of these phenomena therefore requires a clear detection of CMEs/flares at the stage as early as possible. To estimate the possibility of an eruption leading to a CME/flare, we need to elucidate some fundamental but elusive processes including in particular the origin and structures of CMEs/flares. Understanding these processes can not only improve the prediction of the occurrence of CMEs/flares and their effects on geospace and the heliosphere but also help understand the mass ejections and flares on other solar-type stars. The main purpose of this review is to address the origin and early structures of CMEs/flares, from multi-wavelength observational perspective. First of all, we start with the ongoing debate of whether the pre-eruptive configuration, i.e., a helical magnetic flux rope (MFR), of CMEs/flares exists before the eruption and then emphatically introduce observational manifestations of the MFR. Secondly, we elaborate on the possible formation mechanisms of the MFR through distinct ways. Thirdly, we discuss the initiation of the MFR and associated dynamics during its evolution toward the CME/flare. Finally, we come to some conclusions and put forward some prospects in the future.

X. Cheng, Y. Guo and M. Ding
Wed, 24 May 17
11/70

Comments: 46 pages, 9 figures, Accepted by SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences, any comments and suggestions are warmly welcome

# Contribution of solar hydrogen Lyα line emission in total ionization rate in ionospheric D-region during the maximum of solar X-flare [CL]

The solar Ly{\alpha} line emission can be considered as the dominant source of ionization processes in the ionospheric D-region at altitudes above 70 km during unperturbed conditions. However, large sudden impacts of radiation in some other energy domains can also significantly influence the ionization rate and, in this paper, we present a study on the contribution of Ly {\alpha} radiation to the ionization rate when the ionosphere is disturbed by solar X-flares. We give relevant analytical expressions and make calculations and numerical simulations for the low ionosphere using data collected by the VLF receiver located in Serbia for the VLF radio signal emitted by the DHO transmitter in Germany.

A. Nina, V. Cadez and J. Bajcetic
Wed, 24 May 17
70/70

# Cosmological and Solar System Consequences of f(R,T) Gravity Models [CL]

To find more deliberate f(R,T) cosmological solutions, we proceed our previous paper further by studying some new aspects of the considered models via investigation of some new cosmological parameters/quantities to attain the most acceptable cosmological results. Our investigations are performed by applying the dynamical system approach. We obtain the cosmological parameters/quantities in terms of some defined dimensionless parameters that are used in constructing the dynamical equations of motion. The investigated parameters/quantities are the evolution of the Hubble parameter and its inverse, the “weight function”, the ratio of the matter density to the dark energy density and its time variation, the deceleration, the jerk and the snap parameters, and the equation-of-state parameter of the dark energy. We numerically examine these quantities for two general models $R+\alpha R^{-n}+\sqrt{-T}$ and $R\log{[\alpha R]}^{q}+\sqrt{-T}$. All considered models have some inconsistent quantities (with respect to the available observational data), except the model with n=-0.9 which has more consistent quantities than the other ones. By considering the ratio of the matter density to the dark energy density, we find that the coincidence problem does~not refer to a unique cosmological event, rather, this coincidence also occurred in the early universe. We also present the cosmological solutions for an interesting model $R+c_{1}\sqrt{-T}$ in the non–flat FLRW metric. We show that this model has an attractor solution for the late times, though with $w^{(\textrm{DE})}=-1/2$. This model indicates that the spatial curvature density parameter gets negligible values until the present era, in which it acquires the values of the order $10^{-4}$ or $10^{-3}$. As the second part of this work, we consider the weak-field [It continues …]

H. Shabani and M. Farhoudi
Tue, 23 May 17
20/68

# A Prospectus on Kinetic Heliophysics [CL]

Under the low density and high temperature conditions typical of heliospheric plasmas, the macroscopic evolution of the heliosphere is strongly affected by the kinetic plasma physics governing fundamental microphysical mechanisms. Kinetic turbulence, collision less magnetic reconnection, particle acceleration, and kinetic instabilities are four poorly understood, grand-challenge problems that lie at the new frontier of kinetic heliophysics. The increasing availability of high cadence and high phase-space resolution measurements of particle velocity distributions by current and upcoming spacecraft missions and of massively parallel nonlinear kinetic simulations of weakly collisional heliospheric plasmas provides the opportunity to transform our understanding of these kinetic mechanisms through the full utilization of the information contained in the particle velocity distributions. Several major considerations for future investigations of kinetic heliophysics are examined. Turbulent dissipation followed by particle heating is highlighted as an inherently two-step process in weakly collisional plasmas, distinct from the more familiar case in fluid theory. Concerted efforts must be made to tackle the big-data challenge of visualizing the high-dimensional (3D-3V) phase space of kinetic plasma theory through physics-based reductions. Furthermore, the development of innovative analysis methods that utilize full velocity-space measurements, such as the field-particle correlation technique, will enable us to gain deeper insight into these four grand-challenge problems of kinetic heliophysics. A systems approach to tackle the multi-scale problem of heliophysics through a rigorous connection between the kinetic physics at microscales and the self-consistent evolution of the heliosphere at macro scales will propel the field of kinetic heliophysics into the future.

G. Howes
Tue, 23 May 17
30/68

Comments: Ronald C. Davidson Award paper, 13 pages, 1 figure, in press with Physics of Plasmas

# Acceleration and propagation of Solar Energetic Particles [SSA]

Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) are an important component of Space Weather, including radiation hazard to humans and electronic equipment, and the ionisation of the Earth’s atmosphere. We review the key observations of SEPs, our current understanding of their acceleration and transport, and discuss how this knowledge is incorporated within Space Weather forecasting tools. Mechanisms for acceleration during solar flares and at shocks driven by Coronal Mass Ejections are discussed, as well as the timing relationships between signatures of solar eruptive events and the detection of SEPs in interplanetary space. Evidence on how the parameters of SEP events are related to those of the parent solar activity is reviewed and transport effects influencing SEP propagation to near-Earth locations are examined. Finally, the approaches to forecasting Space Weather SEP effects are discussed. We conclude that both flare and CME shock acceleration contribute to Space Weather relevant SEP populations and need to be considered within forecasting tools.

K. Klein and S. Dalla
Tue, 23 May 17
55/68