Skip to main content
Article
Flux Tube Entropy and Specific Entropy in Saturn's Magnetosphere
Journal of Geophysical Research (2019)
  • Xuanye Ma, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
  • Peter A. Delamere, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • Michelle F. Thomsen, Planetary Science Institute
  • Antonius Otto, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • Bishwa Neupane, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • Brandon Burkholder, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • Katariina Nykyri, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Abstract
The motivation of this paper is to discuss the dynamical processes in Saturn's magnetosphere from the plasma entropy perspective. Saturn's magnetosphere is stabilized by a radially increasing profile of flux tube entropy and destabilized by a radially decreasing profile of flux tube content. The traditional radial transport scenario suggested that the magnetic flux with heavy flux tube content moves from the inner magnetosphere to the outer magnetosphere, stretching the magnetic field into a magnetodisc configuration. Subsequently, magnetic flux with low flux tube entropy generated by magnetodisc reconnection circulates back to the inner magnetosphere. However, the low‐specific entropy plasma with a narrow distribution in Saturn's inner magnetosphere suggests a significant nonadiabatic cooling process during the inward motion. The flux tube entropy analysis suggests that energetic particles dominate the total flux tube entropy in the magnetodisc region, and newly closed field lines generated by magnetodisc reconnection are likely to be transported into the inner magnetosphere. Based on the flux tube entropy constraint, this study demonstrates that the radial transport process in Saturn's magnetosphere can also be achieved via middle‐latitude double reconnection, driven by a low‐latitude interchange instability. This process does not involve significant latitudinal convection of magnetic flux in the ionosphere nor does it significantly modify the radial flux tube entropy profile.
Keywords
  • Saturn's magnetosphere,
  • radial transport,
  • interchange instability,
  • flux tube entropy,
  • specific entropy,
  • nonadiabatic testing
Publication Date
March 11, 2019
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JA026150
Citation Information
Xuanye Ma, Peter A. Delamere, Michelle F. Thomsen, Antonius Otto, et al.. "Flux Tube Entropy and Specific Entropy in Saturn's Magnetosphere" Journal of Geophysical Research Vol. 124 Iss. 3 (2019) p. 1593 - 1611 ISSN: 2169-9402
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/heidi-nykyri/82/