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Statistical Relationship between Interplanetary Magnetic Field Conditions and the Helicity Sign of Flux Transfer Event Flux Ropes
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  • Rungployphan Kieokaew,
  • B Lavraud,
  • N Fargette,
  • A Marchaudon,
  • V Génot,
  • C Jacquey,
  • D Gershman,
  • B Giles,
  • R Torbert,
  • J Burch
Rungployphan Kieokaew
Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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B Lavraud
Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
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N Fargette
Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
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A Marchaudon
Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
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V Génot
Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
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C Jacquey
Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
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D Gershman
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
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B Giles
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
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R Torbert
Space Science Center
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J Burch
Southwest Research Institute
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Abstract

Flux Transfer Events (FTEs) are transient phenomena produced by magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause typically under southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. They are usually thought of as magnetic flux ropes with helical structures forming through patchy, unsteady, or multiple X-line reconnection. While the IMF often has a non-zero $B_Y$ component, its impacts on the FTE flux rope helicity remain unknown. We survey Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations of FTE flux ropes during the years 2015 – 2017 and investigate the solar wind conditions prior to the events. By fitting a force-free flux rope model, we select 84 events with good fits and obtain the helicity sign (i.e., handedness) of the flux ropes. We find that positive (negative) helicity flux ropes are mainly preceded by a positive (negative) $B_Y$ component. This finding is compatible with flux ropes formed through a multiple X-line mechanism.
28 Mar 2021Published in Geophysical Research Letters volume 48 issue 6. 10.1029/2020GL091257