Lower-Hybrid Wave-Induced Plasma Mixing related to Kelvin-Helmholtz
Vortices during Southward IMF
Abstract
We examine characteristics of the boundaries of 11 Kelvin-Helmholtz
vortex crossings observed by MMS on September 23, 2017 under southward
IMF conditions. At both the leading and trailing edges, boundary regions
of mixed plasma are observed together with lower-hybrid wave activity.
We found that thicker boundary regions feature a higher number of
sub-ion scale current sheets, of which only one shows clear reconnection
signatures. Moreover, the lower-hybrid waves along the vortex spine
region are identified as an effective mechanism for plasma transport
with an estimated diffusion coefficient of D ≈ 109 m2/s. Comparisons
with 3D simulations performed under the same conditions as the MMS event
suggest that the extension of the boundary regions as well as the number
of current sheets are related to different evolutionary stages of the
vortices. Such observations can be explained by changes in the upstream
magnetic field conditions.