Electron heat flux and whistler instability in the Earth's magnetosheath
Journal article, 2026
Despite heat flux's role in regulating energy conversion in collisionless plasmas, its properties and evolution in the magnetosheath downstream of the Earth's bow shock are scarcely explored. We use Magnetospheric Multiscale in situ measurements to quantify and characterize the electron heat flux in the magnetosheath. We find that the heat flux is shaped by the magnetosheath magnetic field as it drapes around the magnetosphere. While it is affected by solar wind upstream conditions and increases with magnetic field strength, it is not substantially changed by local magnetosheath processes. Also, the heat flux is limited by whistler instability thresholds.
Author
Ida Svenningsson
The Swedish Institute of Space Physics
Uppsala University
Subatomic, High Energy and Plasma Physics 1
Emiliya Yordanova
The Swedish Institute of Space Physics
Yuri V. Khotyaintsev
The Swedish Institute of Space Physics
Uppsala University
Mats André
The Swedish Institute of Space Physics
Giulia Cozzani
University of Orléans
Alexandros Chasapis
University of Colorado
Steven J. Schwartz
Imperial College London
University of Colorado
Physical Review E
24700045 (ISSN) 24700053 (eISSN)
Vol. 113 6 L063201Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)
Fusion, Plasma and Space Physics
Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Cosmology
DOI
10.1103/hd9q-t7z8