Journal ArticleDOI
Substorm variations of the magnetotail plasma sheet from X SM ≈ −6 RE to X SM ≈ −60 RE
TLDR
In this article, a study of the substorm-related variations of the magnetotail plasma sheet is presented, which is causally related to a rapid poleward shift or "leap" of the principal current of the auroral electrojet evidenced by recovery of magnetic bays at auroral latitudes.Abstract:
We report a study of the substorm-related variations of the magnetotail plasma sheet. The study uses data, much of it previously published, obtained by Vela and Imp satellites in the range −6 RE > XSM > −60 RE, where XSM is geocentric distance measured along the solar magnetospheric x axis. Evidence is presented that the thickening or recovery of the plasma sheet, which has been shown in Vela satellite measurements (at γ ≈ 18 RE) to occur late in substorms, is causally related to a rapid poleward shift or ‘leap’ of the principal current of the auroral electrojet evidenced by recovery of magnetic bays at auroral latitudes (65° ≲ λm ≲ 70°) and their onset at low polar cap latitudes (e.g., λm ≈ 74°). That is, it appears to be inaccurate to regard the thickening of the plasma sheet in the far magnetotail as a process that commences near the earth at the onset of the expansive phase of a substorm and moves more or less uniformly out into the tail as the expansive phase of the substorm evolves. A schematic description of the responses of the plasma sheet to a substorm, based on this study and previous studies, is presented.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
The magnetotail and substorms
TL;DR: In this article, a phenomenological or qualitative model of the substorm sequence is presented, where the flux transport is driven by the merging of the magnetospheric and interplanetary magnetic fields.
Journal ArticleDOI
Transient phenomena in the magnetotail and their relation to substorms
TL;DR: In this article, the formation of a magnetic neutral line (the substorm neutral line) within the magnetotail plasma sheet at XSM ≈ 10RE to -25RE has been investigated.
Journal ArticleDOI
Substorm processes in the magnetotail - Comments on 'On hot tenuous plasmas, fireballs, and boundary layers in the earth's magnetotail' by L. A. Frank, K. L. Ackerson, and R. P. Lepping
TL;DR: A detailed discussion of a fireball encounter during 0900-1400 UT in April 1974 is presented, noting plasma and magnetic phenomena observed, and magnetic records from the earth as discussed by the authors.
Journal ArticleDOI
Observations pertaining to the dynamics of the plasma sheet
R. J. Decoster,L. A. Frank +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, the surface of the Earth's magnetosphere was studied at about 30-40 earth radii in the tail of the magnetosphere with Lepedea plasma instrumentation on board the earth-orbiting Imp 7 and Imp 8 satellites.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
The development of the auroral substorm.
TL;DR: In this paper, a working model of simultaneous auroral activity over the entire polar region is presented in terms of the auroral substorm, which has two characteristic phases, an expansive phase and a recovery phase.
Journal ArticleDOI
The Earth's magnetic tail
TL;DR: In this article, the topology of the magnetic field within the magnetosphere and the position of both its boundary and the detached collisionless bow shock wave were investigated. But the results were limited to the Imp 1 satellite, and the range of the magnetometers was between 0.25 and 300γ.
Journal ArticleDOI
Growth phase of magnetospheric substorms
TL;DR: Magnetospheric substorms model modification for growth phase inclusion prior to explosive expansion phase was proposed in this article for the growth phase and the expansion phase, respectively, and the model was modified for the exponential expansion phase.
Journal ArticleDOI
Measurements of magnetotail plasma flow made with Vela 4B
TL;DR: The flow of plasma in the earth's magnetotail has been measured with an electrostatic analyzer on Vela 4B at geocentric distances of ∼18 RE, where the analyzer was kept directed radially outward along a radius vector from the earth, and so it could sense flows in the direction perpendicular to the radius vector as discussed by the authors.
Journal ArticleDOI
Configuration of the geomagnetic tail during substorms
D. H. Fairfield,N. F. Ness +1 more
TL;DR: Geomagnetic tail configuration during substorms from Imp 4 magnetic field and auroral index measurements as discussed by the authors was used to estimate the geomagnetic properties of the Earth's magnetic field.