Ion-scale magnetospheres have been observed around comets, weakly magnetized asteroids, and localized regions on the Moon and provide a unique environment to study kinetic-scale plasma physics, in particular in the collision-less regime. In this work, we present the results of particle-in-cell simulations that replicate recent experiments on the large plasma device at the University of California, Los Angeles. Using high-repetition rate lasers, ion-scale magnetospheres were created to drive a plasma flow into a dipolar magnetic field embedded in a uniform background magnetic field. The simulations are employed to evolve idealized 2D configurations of the experiments, study highly resolved, volumetric datasets, and determine the magnetospheric structure, magnetopause location, and kinetic-scale structures of the plasma current distribution. We show the formation of a magnetic cavity and a magnetic compression in the magnetospheric region, and two main current structures in the dayside of the magnetic obstacle: the diamagnetic current, supported by the driver plasma flow, and the current associated with the magnetopause, supported by both the background and driver plasmas with some time-dependence. From multiple parameter scans, we show a reflection of the magnetic compression, bounded by the length of the driver plasma, and a higher separation of the main current structures for lower dipolar magnetic moments.

1.
L. F.
Burlaga
,
R. M.
Skoug
,
C. W.
Smith
,
D. F.
Webb
,
T. H.
Zurbuchen
, and
A.
Reinard
, “
Fast ejecta during the ascending phase of solar cycle 23: ACE observations 1998–1999
,”
J. Geophys. Res.
106
,
20957
20977
, (
2001
).
2.
D. S.
Spicer
,
R. W.
Clark
,
S. P.
Maran
, and
R. W.
Clark
, “
A model of the pre-Sedov expansion phase of supernova remnant–ambient plasma coupling and x-ray emission from SN 1987A
,”
Astrophys. J.
356
,
549
(
1990
).
3.
S. M.
Krimigis
,
G.
Haerendel
,
R. W.
McEntire
,
G.
Paschmann
, and
D. A.
Bryant
, “
The active magnetospheric particle tracer explorers (AMPTE) program
,”
Trans. Am. Geophys. Union
63
,
843
850
(
1982
).
4.
C.
Russell
, “
The magnetosphere
,”
Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci.
19
,
169
182
(
1991
).
5.
M. A.
Schield
, “
Pressure balance between solar wind and magnetosphere
,”
J. Geophys. Res.
74
,
1275
1286
, (
1969
).
6.
R. P.
Lin
,
D. L.
Mitchell
,
D. W.
Curtis
,
K. A.
Anderson
,
C. W.
Carlson
,
J.
McFadden
,
M. H.
Acuña
,
L. L.
Hood
, and
A.
Binder
, “
Lunar surface magnetic fields and their interaction with the solar wind: Results from lunar prospector
,”
Science
281
,
1480
1484
(
1998
).
7.
J. S.
Halekas
,
G. T.
Delory
,
D. A.
Brain
,
R. P.
Lin
, and
D. L.
Mitchell
, “
Density cavity observed over a strong lunar crustal magnetic anomaly in the solar wind: A mini-magnetosphere?
,”
Planet. Space Sci.
56
,
941
946
(
2008
).
8.
M.
Kato
,
S.
Sasaki
, and
Y.
Takizawa
, “
The Kaguya mission overview
,”
Space Sci. Rev.
154
,
3
19
(
2010
).
9.
M.
Wieser
,
S.
Barabash
,
Y.
Futaana
,
M.
Holmström
,
A.
Bhardwaj
,
R.
Sridharan
,
M. B.
Dhanya
,
A.
Schaufelberger
,
P.
Wurz
, and
K.
Asamura
, “
First observation of a mini-magnetosphere above a lunar magnetic anomaly using energetic neutral atoms
,”
Geophys. Res. Lett.
37
,
L05103
, (
2010
).
10.
G.
Kramer
,
J.
Deca
,
S.
Shukla
,
T.
Kohout
,
X.
Wang
, and
R.
Watkins
, “
The plethora of science afforded by a lunar swirl
,”
Bull. AAS
53
,
166
(
2021
).
11.
R. A.
Bamford
,
B.
Kellett
,
W. J.
Bradford
,
C.
Norberg
,
A.
Thornton
,
K. J.
Gibson
,
I. A.
Crawford
,
L.
Silva
,
L.
Gargaté
, and
R.
Bingham
, “
Minimagnetospheres above the lunar surface and the formation of lunar swirls
,”
Phys. Rev. Lett.
109
,
081101
(
2012
).
12.
R. J.
Lillis
,
S.
Robbins
,
M.
Manga
,
J. S.
Halekas
, and
H. V.
Frey
, “
Time history of the Martian dynamo from crater magnetic field analysis
,”
J. Geophys. Res.
118
,
1488
1511
, (
2013
).
13.
B. J.
Anderson
,
C. L.
Johnson
,
H.
Korth
,
M. E.
Purucker
,
R. M.
Winslow
,
J. A.
Slavin
,
S. C.
Solomon
,
R. L.
McNutt
,
J. M.
Raines
, and
T. H.
Zurbuchen
, “
The global magnetic field of mercury from messenger orbital observations
,”
Science
333
,
1859
1862
(
2011
).
14.
M. G.
Kivelson
,
K. K.
Khurana
,
F. V.
Coroniti
,
S.
Joy
,
C. T.
Russell
,
R. J.
Walker
,
J.
Warnecke
,
L.
Bennett
, and
C.
Polanskey
, “
The magnetic field and magnetosphere of Ganymede
,”
Geophys. Res. Lett.
24
,
2155
2158
, (
1997
).
15.
C. T.
Russell
,
J. L.
Phillips
,
M. R.
Arghavani
,
J. D.
Mihalov
,
W. C.
Knudsen
, and
K.
Miller
, “
A possible observation of a cometary bow shock
,”
Geophys. Res. Lett.
11
,
1022
1025
, (
1984
).
16.
D. D.
Ryutov
and
B. A.
Remington
, “
Scaling astrophysical phenomena to high-energy-density laboratory experiments
,”
Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion
44
,
B407
B423
(
2002
).
17.
E. T.
Kennedy
, “
Plasmas and intense laser light
,”
Contemp. Phys.
25
,
31
58
(
1984
).
18.
S.
Amoruso
,
R.
Bruzzese
,
N.
Spinelli
, and
R.
Velotta
, “
Characterization of laser-ablation plasmas
,”
J. Phys. B.
32
,
R131
(
1999
).
19.
C.
Niemann
,
W.
Gekelman
,
C. G.
Constantin
,
E. T.
Everson
,
D. B.
Schaeffer
,
A. S.
Bondarenko
,
S. E.
Clark
,
D.
Winske
,
S.
Vincena
,
B.
Van Compernolle
, and
P.
Pribyl
, “
Observation of collisionless shocks in a large current-free laboratory plasma
,”
Geophys. Res. Lett.
41
,
7413
7418
, (
2014
).
20.
A. S.
Bondarenko
,
D. B.
Schaeffer
,
E. T.
Everson
,
S. E.
Clark
,
B. R.
Lee
,
C. G.
Constantin
,
S.
Vincena
,
B.
Van Compernolle
,
S. K.
Tripathi
,
D.
Winske
, and
C.
Niemann
, “
Collisionless momentum transfer in space and astrophysical explosions
,”
Nat. Phys.
13
,
573
576
(
2017
).
21.
R. M.
Winglee
,
T.
Ziemba
,
P.
Euripides
, and
J.
Slough
, “
Magnetic inflation produced by the mini-magnetospheric plasma propulsion (M2P2) prototype
,”
AIP Conf. Proc.
608
,
433
(
2002
).
22.
R.
Bamford
,
K. J.
Gibson
,
A. J.
Thornton
,
J.
Bradford
,
R.
Bingham
,
L.
Gargate
,
L. O.
Silva
,
R. A.
Fonseca
,
M.
Hapgood
,
C.
Norberg
,
T.
Todd
, and
R.
Stamper
, “
The interaction of a flowing plasma with a dipole magnetic field: Measurements and modelling of a diamagnetic cavity relevant to spacecraft protection
,”
Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion
50
,
124025
(
2008
).
23.
R. A.
Bamford
,
B.
Kellett
,
J.
Bradford
,
T. N.
Todd
,
M. G.
Benton
,
R.
Stafford-Allen
,
E. P.
Alves
,
L.
Silva
,
C.
Collingwood
,
I. A.
Crawford
, and
R.
Bingham
, “
An exploration of the effectiveness of artificial mini-magnetospheres as a potential solar storm shelter for long term human space missions
,”
Acta Astronaut.
105
,
385
394
(
2014
).
24.
P.
Brady
,
T.
Ditmire
,
W.
Horton
,
M. L.
Mays
, and
Y.
Zakharov
, “
Laboratory experiments simulating solar wind driven magnetospheres
,”
Phys. Plasmas
16
,
043112
(
2009
).
25.
I. F.
Shaikhislamov
,
V. M.
Antonov
,
Y. P.
Zakharov
,
E. L.
Boyarintsev
,
A. V.
Melekhov
,
V. G.
Posukh
, and
A. G.
Ponomarenko
, “
Mini-magnetosphere: Laboratory experiment, physical model and Hall MHD simulation
,”
Adv. Space Res.
52
,
422
436
(
2013
).
26.
I. F.
Shaikhislamov
,
Y. P.
Zakharov
,
V. G.
Posukh
,
A. V.
Melekhov
,
V. M.
Antonov
,
E. L.
Boyarintsev
, and
A. G.
Ponomarenko
, “
Experimental study of a mini-magnetosphere
,”
Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion
56
,
025004
(
2014
).
27.
A.
Rigby
,
F.
Cruz
,
B.
Albertazzi
,
R.
Bamford
,
A. R.
Bell
,
J. E.
Cross
,
F.
Fraschetti
,
P.
Graham
,
Y.
Hara
,
P. M.
Kozlowski
,
Y.
Kuramitsu
,
D. Q.
Lamb
,
S.
Lebedev
,
J. R.
Marques
,
F.
Miniati
,
T.
Morita
,
M.
Oliver
,
B.
Reville
,
Y.
Sakawa
,
S.
Sarkar
,
C.
Spindloe
,
R.
Trines
,
P.
Tzeferacos
,
L. O.
Silva
,
R.
Bingham
,
M.
Koenig
, and
G.
Gregori
, “
Electron acceleration by wave turbulence in a magnetized plasma
,”
Nat. Phys.
14
,
475
479
(
2018
).
28.
E. M.
Harnett
and
R.
Winglee
, “
Two-dimensional MHD simulation of the solar wind interaction with magnetic field anomalies on the surface of the Moon
,”
J. Geophys. Res.
105
,
24997
25007
, (
2000
).
29.
E. M.
Harnett
and
R. M.
Winglee
, “
2.5D particle and MHD simulations of mini-magnetospheres at the moon
,”
J. Geophys. Res.
107
,
1421
, (
2002
).
30.
X.
Blanco-Cano
,
N.
Omidi
, and
C. T.
Russel
, “
How to make a magnetosphere
,”
Astron. Geophys.
45
,
3.14
3.17
(
2004
).
31.
L.
Gargaté
,
R.
Bingham
,
R. A.
Fonseca
,
R.
Bamford
,
A.
Thornton
,
K.
Gibson
,
J.
Bradford
, and
L. O.
Silva
, “
Hybrid simulations of mini-magnetospheres in the laboratory
,”
Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion
50
,
074017
(
2008
).
32.
E.
Kallio
,
R.
Jarvinen
,
S.
Dyadechkin
,
P.
Wurz
,
S.
Barabash
,
F.
Alvarez
,
V. A.
Fernandes
,
Y.
Futaana
,
A. M.
Harri
,
J.
Heilimo
,
C.
Lue
,
J.
Mäkelä
,
N.
Porjo
,
W.
Schmidt
, and
T.
Siili
, “
Kinetic simulations of finite gyroradius effects in the lunar plasma environment on global, meso, and microscales
,”
Planet. Space Sci.
74
,
146
155
(
2012
).
33.
J.
Deca
,
A.
Divin
,
G.
Lapenta
,
B.
Lembège
,
S.
Markidis
, and
M.
Horányi
, “
Electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulations of the solar wind interaction with lunar magnetic anomalies
,”
Phys. Rev. Lett.
112
,
151102
(
2014
).
34.
J.
Deca
,
A.
Divin
,
B.
Lembège
,
M.
Horányi
,
S.
Markidis
, and
G.
Lapenta
, “
General mechanism and dynamics of the solar wind interaction with lunar magnetic anomalies from 3D particle-in-cell simulations
,”
J. Geophys. Res.
120
,
6443
6463
, (
2015
).
35.
M. I.
Zimmerman
,
W. M.
Farrell
, and
A. R.
Poppe
, “
Kinetic simulations of kilometer-scale mini-magnetosphere formation on the Moon
,”
J. Geophys. Res.
120
,
1893
1903
, (
2015
).
36.
R. A.
Bamford
,
E. P.
Alves
,
F.
Cruz
,
B. J.
Kellett
,
R. A.
Fonseca
,
L. O.
Silva
,
R. M. G. M.
Trines
,
J. S.
Halekas
,
G.
Kramer
,
E.
Harnett
,
R. A.
Cairns
, and
R.
Bingham
, “
3D PIC simulations of collisionless shocks at lunar magnetic anomalies and their role in forming lunar swirls
,”
Astrophys. J.
830
,
146
(
2016
).
37.
J.
Deca
,
A. R.
Poppe
,
A.
Divin
, and
B.
Lembège
, “
The plasma environment surrounding the Reiner Gamma magnetic anomaly
,”
J. Geophys. Res.
126
,
e2021JA029180
, (
2021
).
38.
F.
Cruz
,
E. P.
Alves
,
R. A.
Bamford
,
R.
Bingham
,
R. A.
Fonseca
, and
L. O.
Silva
, “
Formation of collisionless shocks in magnetized plasma interaction with kinetic-scale obstacles
,”
Phys. Plasmas
24
,
022901
(
2017
).
39.
D. B.
Schaeffer
,
F.
Cruz
,
R. S.
Dorst
,
F. D.
Cruz
,
P. V.
Heuer
,
C. G.
Constantin
,
P.
Pribyl
,
C.
Niemann
,
L. O.
Silva
, and
A.
Bhattacharjee
, “
Laser-driven, ion-scale magnetospheres in laboratory plasmas. I. experimental platform and first results
,”
Phys. Plasmas
29
,
042901
(
2022
).
40.
R. A.
Fonseca
,
L. O.
Silva
,
F. S.
Tsung
,
V. K.
Decyk
,
W.
Lu
,
C.
Ren
,
W. B.
Mori
,
S.
Deng
,
S.
Lee
,
T.
Katsouleas
, and
J. C.
Adam
, “
OSIRIS: A three-dimensional, fully relativistic particle in cell code for modeling plasma based accelerators
,” in
Lecture Notes in Computer Science (Including Subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
(
LNCS/Springer Verlag
,
2002
), Vol.
2331
, pp.
342
351
.
41.
R. A.
Fonseca
,
J.
Vieira
,
F.
Fiuza
,
A.
Davidson
,
F. S.
Tsung
,
W. B.
Mori
, and
L. O.
Silva
, “
Exploiting multi-scale parallelism for large scale numerical modelling of laser wakefield accelerators
,”
Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion
55
,
124011
(
2013
).
42.
Y.
Saito
,
M. N.
Nishino
,
M.
Fujimoto
,
T.
Yamamoto
,
S.
Yokota
,
H.
Tsunakawa
,
H.
Shibuya
,
M.
Matsushima
,
H.
Shimizu
, and
F.
Takahashi
, “
Simultaneous observation of the electron acceleration and ion deceleration over lunar magnetic anomalies
,”
Earth Planets Space
64
,
4
(
2012
).
43.
D. B.
Schaeffer
,
A. S.
Bondarenko
,
E. T.
Everson
,
S. E.
Clark
,
C. G.
Constantin
, and
C.
Niemann
, “
Characterization of laser-produced carbon plasmas relevant to laboratory astrophysics
,”
J. Appl. Phys.
120
,
043301
(
2016
).
44.
D. W.
Hewett
,
S. H.
Brecht
, and
D. J.
Larson
, “
The physics of ion decoupling in magnetized plasma expansions
,”
J. Geophys. Res.
116
,
A11310
, (
2011
).
45.
B. H.
Ripin
,
J. D.
Huba
,
E. A.
McLean
,
C. K.
Manka
,
T.
Peyser
,
H. R.
Burris
, and
J.
Grun
, “
Sub-Alfvénic plasma expansion
,”
Phys. Fluids B.
5
,
3491
3506
(
1993
).
46.
R. L.
Liboff
,
Kinetic Theory: Classical, Quantum, and Relativistic Descriptions, Graduate Texts in Contemporary Physics
(
Springer
New York
,
2003
).
47.
R. W.
Clark
,
J.
Denavit
, and
K.
Papadopoulos
, “
Laminar interactions in high Mach number plasma flows
,”
Phys. Fluids
16
,
1097
1101
(
1973
).
You do not currently have access to this content.