Remote Sensing of the Geomagnetic Tail Current Sheet Topology Using Energetic Ions: Neutral Lines versus Weak Field Regions.

• Speiser T. W.

  Space Science Institute, Astrophysical, Planetary and Atmospheric Sciences Department/University of Colorado, and Space Environment Laboratory/NOAA

• Martin, Jr. R. F.

  Physics Department, Campus Box 4560, Illinois State University

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• Remote Sensing of the Geomagnetic Tail

Abstract

Individual flow bursts in a bursty bulk flow event observed by the AMPTE/IRM satellite at R = (-12, -3, 1)R_e, have been modeled by following large numbers of single particle orbits in a model of the geomagnetic tail current sheet containing both B_z and B_y components and a near Earth neutral line. A flow burst modeled in the central plasma sheet, just after a substorm onset, implied there was a near-Earth neutral line 1 to 1/2 R_e tailward of the satellite. An earlier flow burst at the plasma sheet edge, 1-2 minutes before the substorm onset, implied that at this earlier time the neutral line was already formed and closer to the satellite. To match the centroid of the observations, it was necessary that the source population was strongly earthward and duskward flowing, probably originating from the distant current sheet, and that there must have been a relatively large |B_y| component. With such a B_y component, it is interesting that a secondary feature of the observed distribution can also be explained qualitatively. During the time that we see the need for a strong earthward flow from a distant source, ground measurements indicate a significant increase in magnetospheric convection. A model with weak but non-reversing B_z reproduces some of the observed distribution function features, but not all of them, as well as the neutral line model. However, a secondary ridge seen in the observations implies a mixing of neutral line and weak field topologies, with such mixing occurring on a 1 minute time scale.

Journal

• Journal of geomagnetism and geoelectricity

  Journal of geomagnetism and geoelectricity 48 (5/6), 799-807, 1996

  Society of Geomagnetism and Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences

Keywords

• General Earth and Planetary Sciences
• General Environmental Science

Details

• CRID: 1390282681487243008
• NII Article ID: 130003559428
• NII Article ID: 10002403675
• NII Book ID: AA00698879
• DOI: 10.5636/jgg.48.799
• ISSN: 21855765
• ISSN: 00221392
• NDL BIB ID: 4060373
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I4060373
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed