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Transpolar arc observation after solar wind entry into the high‐latitude magnetosphere
Author(s) -
Mailyan B.,
Shi Q. Q.,
Kullen A.,
Maggiolo R.,
Zhang Y.,
Fear R. C.,
Zong Q.G.,
Fu S. Y.,
Gou X. C.,
Cao X.,
Yao Z. H.,
Sun W. J.,
Wei Y.,
Pu Z. Y.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1002/2014ja020912
Subject(s) - magnetosphere , solar wind , interplanetary magnetic field , physics , satellite , latitude , geophysics , spacecraft , astronomy , plasma , quantum mechanics
Recently, Cluster observations have revealed the presence of new regions of solar wind plasma entry at the high‐latitude magnetospheric lobes tailward of the cusp region, mostly during periods of northward interplanetary magnetic field. In this study, observations from the Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) experiment on board the TIMED spacecraft and Wideband Imaging Camera imager on board the IMAGE satellite are used to investigate a possible link between solar wind entry and the formation of transpolar arcs in the polar cap. We focus on a case when transpolar arc formation was observed twice right after the two solar wind entry events were detected by the Cluster spacecraft. In addition, GUVI and IMAGE observations show a simultaneous occurrence of auroral activity at low and high latitudes after the second entry event, possibly indicating a two‐part structure of the continuous band of the transpolar arc.