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Dipolarization in the inner magnetosphere during a geomagnetic storm on 7 October 2015
Author(s) -
Matsui H.,
Erickson P. J.,
Foster J. C.,
Torbert R. B.,
Argall M. R.,
Anderson B. J.,
Blake J. B.,
Cohen I. J.,
Ergun R. E.,
Farrugia C. J.,
Khotyaintsev Yu. V.,
Korth H.,
Lindqvist P.A.,
Magnes W.,
Marklund G. T.,
Mauk B. H.,
Paulson K. W.,
Russell C. T.,
Strangeway R. J.,
Turner D. L.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2016gl070677
Subject(s) - plasmasphere , physics , geophysics , ionosphere , magnetosphere , geomagnetic storm , millstone hill , incoherent scatter , substorm , earth's magnetic field , convection , storm , computational physics , magnetic field , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , quantum mechanics
A dipolarization event was observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft at L = 3.8 and 19.8 magnetic local time starting at ∼23:42:36 UT on 7 October 2015. The magnetic and electric fields showed initially coherent variations between the spacecraft. The sunward convection turned tailward after the dipolarization. The observation is interpreted in terms of the pressure balance or the momentum equation. This was followed by a region traversed where the fields were irregular. The scale length was of the order of the ion gyroradius, suggesting the kinetic nature of the fluctuations. Combination of the multi‐instrument, multispacecraft data reveals a more detailed picture of the dipolarization event in the inner magnetosphere. Conjunction ionosphere‐plasmasphere observations from DMSP, two‐dimensional GPS total electron content, the Millstone Hill midlatitude incoherent scatter radar, and AMPERE measurements imply that MMS observations are located on the poleward edge of the ionospheric trough where Region 2 field‐aligned currents flow.