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Plasmaspheric density structures are considered to control the propagation trajectories of fast magnetosonic (MS) waves in the inner magnetosphere. However, whether the plasmaspheric plume can effectively alter the propagation of MS waves remains unknown. Based on the analytical model of plasma density, ray tracing simulations are performed to investigate the propagation of exactly perpendicular MS waves in the equatorial plane in the magnetosphere containing a plasmaspheric plume. We find that plasmatrough and plume MS waves propagating toward the plasmaspheric plume can be reflected into the plasmaspheric core by the plume, then potentially migrating globally and thus quasi‐trapped inside the plasmaspheric core. The simulations also indicate that lower‐frequency MS waves approaching the plasmaspheric plume are more easily reflected and quasi‐trapped inside the plasmaspheric core. Our findings illustrate a previously unexplored way that plasmatrough MS waves could access and be trapped inside the plasmaspheric core via azimuthal plasmaspheric density structures. Plain Language Summary Fast magnetosonic (MS) waves are one of the most common and intense electromagnetic emissions observed both inside and outside the plasmasphere. Portions of MS waves observed inside the plasmasphere are supposed to come from the propagation of those waves outside the plasmasphere. It is well known that the radial plasmaspheric density structures can strongly alter the propagation trajectories of MS waves in the inner magnetosphere. However, a typical azimuthal plasmaspheric density structure, the plasmaspheric plume, can form in the magnetosphere during the geomagnetic disturbed times. How the plasmaspheric plume affects the propagation of MS waves remains unknown. Based on the ray tracing simulations, we show that MS waves generated outside the plasmapause and inside the plume can be reflected into the plasmaspheric core by the plasmaspheric plume and a few of the reflected waves can migrate globally inside the plasmaspheric core. Our findings provide a new potential way for MS waves to access and be trapped inside the plasmaspheric core. Key Points Propagation of magnetosonic waves in the magnetosphere containing a plasmaspheric plume is examined using the ray tracing simulations Plasmatrough and plume magnetosonic waves can be reflected into the plasmaspheric core by the plasmaspheric plume Those reflected magnetosonic waves can be quasi‐trapped inside the plasmaspheric core or propagate radially down to low altitudes

Hiss waves play a critical role in shaping Earth's radiation belts and mediating magnetosphere‐ionosphere energy transfer. Intense hiss emissions are frequently generated within dynamic plasmaspheric plumes through linear and nonlinear wave‐particle interactions. However, the contribution of plume hiss to the spatial distribution of hiss throughout the plasmasphere is not yet well quantified. In this study, we perform ray‐tracing simulations to investigate the global propagation of plume hiss under varying plume morphologies, including different widths and levels of density lumpiness. We find that most hiss power is confined near the local time sector of the plume. Narrower plumes with embedded density ducts significantly enhance earthward wave guidance into the plasmaspheric core, compared to wide, smooth plumes. Furthermore, a subset of rays guided azimuthally along the plasmapause can serve as seed waves for intense dayside hiss. Our results highlight the role of plume hiss in shaping the global‐scale distribution of hiss waves.

Plasmaspheric plume hiss plays a crucial role in shaping Earth's electron radiation belts and influencing magnetosphere–ionosphere energy coupling. However, its generation mechanism remains contested between cyclic‐linear and localized‐nonlinear models. By analyzing over 64,000 high‐resolution plume hiss wave segments from the Van Allen Probes (1 January 2013–31 July 2019), we identify a distinct frequency dependence in their latitudinal distributions of directionality and amplitude. For high‐frequency hiss, bidirectional propagation is sharply confined near the magnetic equator, beyond which poleward‐propagating waves overwhelmingly dominate, and the wave amplitude increases obviously with latitude. These signatures are consistent with a rapid, single‐pass, equatorially confined, nonlinear amplification process. In contrast, low‐frequency hiss exhibits a high prevalence and wide latitudinal extension of bidirectional propagation, with relatively smooth amplitude variations. This pattern supports a generation scenario involving slower growth, potentially linear or nonlinear, that is coupled with wave bounce motion along magnetic field lines.

This study presents observations of magnetopause reconnection and erosion at geosynchronous orbit, utilizing in situ satellite measurements and remote sensing ground‐based instruments. During the main phase of a geomagnetic storm, Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) 15 was on the dawnside of the dayside magnetopause (10.6 MLT) and observed significant magnetopause erosion, while GOES 13, observing duskside (14.6 MLT), remained within the magnetosphere. Combined observations from the THEMIS satellites and Super Dual Auroral Radar Network radars verified that magnetopause erosion was primarily caused by reconnection. While various factors may contribute to asymmetric erosion, the observations suggest that the weak reconnection rate on the duskside can play a role in the formation of asymmetric magnetopause shape. This discrepancy in reconnection rate is associated with the presence of cold dense plasma on the duskside of the magnetosphere, which limits the reconnection rate by mass loading, resulting in more efficient magnetopause erosion on the dawnside.

The temporal variability of magnetopause reconnection is an important aspect of solar wind magnetosphere coupling. Even under stable solar wind driving, reconnection can be triggered, modulated, or suppressed because of magnetic field and plasma conditions near the magnetopause boundary. We analyze a unique event in which a THEMIS satellite crosses the subsolar magnetopause three times within a ∼${\\sim} $ 5 min interval in the presence of a cold‐ion population on the magnetospheric side of the boundary. During the first crossing, the satellite detects reconnection outflow and a D‐ shaped ion velocity distribution earthward from the boundary, indicating an active reconnection. The signatures disappear during the second crossing when the magnetospheric cold‐ion density increases significantly and reappear during the third crossing when the magnetospheric density drops to a level comparable to that of the first crossing. The solar wind and magnetosheath conditions do not change much during the interval. The magnetospheric population is evidently associated with a plasmaspheric plume with considerable variation in density. According to the theory of mass loading, the presence of such a plume population results in the local Alfvén speed at the second crossing being ∼${\\sim} $ 40% smaller compared to the first and third crossings. However, the theory itself does not suggest suppression. We discuss possible suppression mechanisms considering the additional effects of the prevailing solar wind and local magnetopause conditions. Plain Language Summary Magnetopause reconnection is the fundamental mechanism of solar wind mass/energy transport into the magnetosphere‐ionosphere system. A subject of key interest is how local magnetopause boundary conditions impact reconnection. The theory of mass loading predicts that the magnetopause reconnection rate may significantly decrease with increasing density in the magnetospheric region adjacent to the magnetopause current sheet. We present an observation of the subsolar magnetopause boundary populated with high‐density plasmaspheric material. Of the three consecutive crossings within an interval of ∼${\\sim} $ 5 min, the second crossing is impacted by the magnetospheric plasma with a significantly higher density and the reconnection signatures are suppressed. Compared to the first and third crossings, the predicted Alfvén speed at the second crossing is significantly lower. However, the theory of mass loading does not imply suppression of reconnection. Considering the given solar wind and the magnetopause conditions, we discuss possible physical mechanisms that might play a role. Key Points Transient suppression of reconnection outflow is observed at the subsolar magnetopause contacted by cold magnetospheric plasma The magnetospheric plasma population is associated with a plasmaspheric plume during a geomagnetically active period The possible importance of mass loading and diamagnetic drift is discussed

In this paper, we present characteristics of precipitating energetic ions/electrons associated with the wave‐particle interaction in the plasmaspheric plume during the geomagnetic storm on July 18, 2005 with observations of the NOAA15 NOAA16, IMAGE satellites and Finnish network of search coil magnetometers. Conjugate observations of the NOAA15 satellite and the Finnish network of search coil magnetometers have demonstrated that a sharp enhancement of the precipitating ion flux is a result of ring current (RC) ions scattered into the loss cone by EMIC waves. Those precipitating RC ions lead to a detached subauroral proton arc observed by the IMAGE FUV. In addition, with observations of NOAA15 and NOAA16, the peak of precipitating electron flux was equatorward to that of precipitating proton flux, which is in agreement with the region separation of ELF hiss and EMIC waves observed by the Cluster C1 in the Yuan et al. (2012) companion paper. In combination with the result of the companion paper, we demonstrate the link between the wave activities (ELF hiss, EMIC waves) in plasmaspheric plumes and energetic ion/electron precipitation at ionospheric altitudes. Therefore, it is an important characteristic of the plasmaspheric plumes‐RC‐ionosphere interaction during a geomagnetic storm that the precipitation of energetic protons is latitudinally separated from that of energetic electrons. Key Points Characteristics of precipitating energetic ions/electrons in plume Conjugate observations of the NOAA, IMAGE satellites and magnetometers Link between EMIC or ELF hiss waves and energetic ion/electron precipitation

The wave‐particle interaction is a possible candidate for the energy coupling between the ring current and plasmaspheric plumes. In this paper, we present wave and particle observations made by the Cluster C1 satellite in a plasmaspheric plume in the recovery phase of the geomagnetic storm on 18 July 2005. Cluster C1 simultaneously observed Pc1‐2 waves and extremely low frequency (ELF) hiss in the plasmaspheric plume. Through an analysis of power spectral density and polarization of the perturbed magnetic field, we identify that the observed Pc1‐2 waves are linearly polarized electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves and show that the ELF hiss propagates in the direction of the ambient magnetic field in whistler mode. In the region where the EMIC waves were observed, the pitch angle distribution of ions becomes more isotropic, likely because of the pitch angle scattering by the EMIC waves. It is shown that the ELF hiss and EMIC waves are spatially separated: The ELF hiss is located in the vicinity of the electron density peak within the plume while the EMIC waves are detected in the outer boundary of the plume because of the different propagation characteristics of the ELF hiss and EMIC waves. Key Points SC1 simultaneously observed Pc1‐2 waves and ELF hiss in the plasmaspheric plume SC1 in site observed an ion pitch angle scattering caused by EMIC waves Properties of EMIC waves and ELF hiss with the plasma gradients of the plume

Time-domain structures (TDS), manifested as ≥ 1 ms pulses with significant parallel electric fields, play an important role in accelerating electrons in the field-aligned direction. These precipitated electrons contribute to the formation of aurora. In this study, we present observations of time-domain structures that occurred in the plasmaspheric plumes at the post-midnight to dawn sector. The close correlation between TDS and plasmaspheric plumes implies that the generation of TDS might be modulated by plasma density. During the wave occurrence, protons with an energy level below 1 keV show the enhanced field-aligned pitch-angle distributions, and the electron fluxes with the energies ranging from tens to hundreds of eV are also significantly enhanced. The correlation between TDS and scattered particles indicates the importance of including time-domain structures in future studies of radiation belt dynamics.

Coordinated observations from GOES‐9, DMSP F‐13, and Chokurdakh (CHD) have shown concurrent Pc1‐2 band wave activity in the late afternoon sector, close to 16 MLT. The left‐hand polarization of the waves in space indicates that these are electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves. In the region of field line conjunction, DMSP also observed 6–30 keV energy ion precipitation. We have examined the propagation of the EMIC waves from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere using both time series analysis and a 2‐D magnetohydrodynamic model. Our analysis suggests that the EMIC are generated by interactions with cold plasma within a drainage plume, consistent with theory, and that the waves primarily propagate earthward along geomagnetic field lines at the eastward (outer) edge of the plume.

In this paper, we report observations from a Cluster satellite showing that ULF wave occurred in the outer boundary of a plasmaspheric plume on September 4, 2005. The band of observed ULF waves is between the He+ ion gyrofrequency and O+ ion gyrofrequency at the equatorial plane, implying that those ULF waves can be identified as EMIC waves generated by ring current ions in the equatorial plane and strongly affected by rich cold He+ ions in plasmaspheric plumes. During the interval of observed EMIC waves, the footprint of Cluster SC3 lies in a subauroral proton arc observed by the IMAGE FUV instrument, demonstrating that the subauroral proton arc was caused by energetic ring current protons scattered into the loss cone under the Ring Current (RC)‐EMIC interaction in the plasmaspheric plume. Therefore, the paper provides a direct proof that EMIC waves can be generated in the plasmaspheric plume and scatter RC ions to cause subauroral proton arcs.