Test of accuracy of polynomial reconstruction and reconstruction of an event without MMS4 current density
Presentation Type
Talk
Presenter Format
In Person Meeting Talk
Topic
Nightside Science
Start Date
13-5-2022 11:15 AM
Abstract
Our polynomial reconstruction technique uses input from the magnetic field and particle current density measured by the MMS spacecraft to find a quadratic model for the magnetic field. First we extend our technique by using input data from multiple observation times. This extension yields somewhat more accurate reconstructions and also yields an estimate of the structure velocity. Then we test the accuracy of reconstructions by reconstructing the magnetic field in a three-dimensional particle in cell simulation, using virtual spacecraft data as input to the reconstruction. The results are heavily influenced by the amount of temporal smoothing of the input data. More smoothing allows a qualitatively more accurate reconstruction, but the resulting reconstruction then represents spatially smoothed simulation fields with time variation at timescales less than the smoothing time excluded. Reconstruction of a magnetotail reconnection event observed by MMS on 27 August 2018, when the MMS4 current density was unavailable, yields a reconstruction consistent with the previous interpretation by Li et al. (2021) based on the time-dependent data.
Test of accuracy of polynomial reconstruction and reconstruction of an event without MMS4 current density
Our polynomial reconstruction technique uses input from the magnetic field and particle current density measured by the MMS spacecraft to find a quadratic model for the magnetic field. First we extend our technique by using input data from multiple observation times. This extension yields somewhat more accurate reconstructions and also yields an estimate of the structure velocity. Then we test the accuracy of reconstructions by reconstructing the magnetic field in a three-dimensional particle in cell simulation, using virtual spacecraft data as input to the reconstruction. The results are heavily influenced by the amount of temporal smoothing of the input data. More smoothing allows a qualitatively more accurate reconstruction, but the resulting reconstruction then represents spatially smoothed simulation fields with time variation at timescales less than the smoothing time excluded. Reconstruction of a magnetotail reconnection event observed by MMS on 27 August 2018, when the MMS4 current density was unavailable, yields a reconstruction consistent with the previous interpretation by Li et al. (2021) based on the time-dependent data.
