Effects of Pressure Anisotropy on the Geometry of Magnetic Flux Rope

Abstract

Abstract This paper aims to examine the effects of pressure anisotropy on the geometry of magnetic flux rope using the newly developed two-dimensional magnetohydrostatic reconstruction associated with pressure anisotropy. A small-scale magnetic flux rope observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, in the magnetosheath reconnection outflow during an outbound magnetopause crossing, is demonstrated. At the center of the flux rope, the magnetic field strength was enhanced with decreasing plasma pressure. The entire flux rope was mostly occupied by the pressure anisotropy of p ⊥ > p ∥, where the subscripts ∥ and ⊥ denote the components parallel and perpendicular to the local magnetic field, respectively. The estimated aspect ratio of the width to the length of the flux rope from reconstruction was ∼0.326 for p ⊥ > p ∥ and ∼0.389 for isotropic pressure. By comparing the magnetic field map from the isotropic Grad–Shafranov reconstruction, the results show for p ⊥ > p ∥ that (1) the width of the flux rope is reduced, leading to a small aspect ratio of the flux rope, and (2) the circular field line of the flux rope is contracted. Moreover, an experiment is conducted for p ∥ > p ⊥ by exchanging p ⊥ and p ∥ of the flux rope, for which the isotropic pressure is less affected. The experimental results indicate that the effects of p ∥ > p ⊥ on the geometry of the flux rope are opposite to that of p ⊥ > p ∥. The overall finding may provide new insight into charged particle acceleration within magnetic flux ropes/islands in anisotropic plasmas.