Evaluating Single Spacecraft Observations of Planetary Magnetotails With Simple Monte Carlo Simulations: 2. Magnetic...

Area of Science:

• Space Physics
• Plasma Physics
• Computational Physics

Background:

• Flux ropes are fundamental structures in space plasmas, particularly in planetary magnetospheres.
• Previous studies of flux ropes in Mercury's magnetotail using MESSENGER data have been limited by observational selection biases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a Monte Carlo method to quantify and correct for selection biases in identifying magnetic flux ropes.
• To obtain more accurate estimations of the intrinsic distributions of flux rope parameters, such as radius and recurrence rate.

Main Methods:

• A Monte Carlo simulation technique was employed to model the effects of selection criteria on magnetic signatures.
• The method was applied to analyze two flux rope surveys from MESSENGER data in the Hermean magnetotail.
• Quantification of selection biases allowed for the correction of observed flux rope parameter distributions.

Main Results:

• Different selection criteria preferentially identify distinct subsets of the flux rope population.
• The mean radius of quasi-force-free flux ropes in the Hermean magnetotail was corrected to $$ km.
• The average recurrence rate of these flux ropes was revised to 0.12 min^-1, accounting for unobserved structures.

Conclusions:

• Selection biases significantly affect the observed properties of flux ropes.
• Correcting for these biases provides a more accurate understanding of the intrinsic characteristics and occurrence rates of flux ropes in Mercury's magnetotail.