  Magnetospheres are a ubiquitous feature of magnetized bodies embedded in a
plasma flow. While large planetary magnetospheres have been studied for decades
by spacecraft, ion-scale "mini" magnetospheres can provide a unique environment
to study kinetic-scale, collisionless plasma physics in the laboratory to help
validate models of larger systems. In this work, we present preliminary
experiments of ion-scale magnetospheres performed on a unique
high-repetition-rate platform developed for the Large Plasma Device (LAPD) at
UCLA. The experiments utilize a high-repetition-rate laser to drive a fast
plasma flow into a pulsed dipole magnetic field embedded in a uniform
magnetized background plasma. 2D maps of magnetic field with high spatial and
temporal resolution are measured with magnetic flux probes to examine the
evolution of magnetosphere and current density structures for a range of dipole
and upstream parameters. The results are further compared to 2D PIC simulations
to identify key observational signatures of the kinetic-scale structures and
dynamics of the laser-driven plasma. We find that distinct 2D kinetic-scale
magnetopause and diamagnetic current structures are formed at higher dipole
moments, and their locations are consistent with predictions based on pressure
balances and energy conservation.
