Data Mining for Vortices on the Earth's Magnetosphere

This research validates a method to detect and characterize vortices based on velocity from simulation data. The current algorithm involves systematically searching the 3-dimensional velocity fields to identify critical points, points where the magnitude of the velocity vector field vanishes, making these points candidates for vortex centers. We utilize the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) run on request capability to create a series of model runs initialized from the conditions observed by the Cluster mission in the Hwang et al., 2011 analysis of Kelvin Helmholtz vortices observed during southward IMF. The fast data characterization and vortex detection will permit the scientist to focus in on different magnetosphere locations for further investigation in large data sets. This not only saves time to scientist, but also diminishes the potential for missing features of interest. We also analyze further the properties of the vortices found including the velocity changes within their motion across the magnetosheath, and the potential of our tool to characterize transient features (e.g. Flux Transfer Event (FTEs)) with vortical internal structures.