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Oscillatory flow braking in the magnetotail: THEMIS statistics
Author(s) -
Panov Evgeny V.,
Kubyshkina Marina V.,
Nakamura Rumi,
Baumjohann Wolfgang,
Angelopoulos Vassilis,
Sergeev Victor A.,
Petrukovich Anatoli A.
Publication year - 2013
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/grl.50407
Subject(s) - plasma sheet , oscillation (cell signaling) , physics , protein filament , plasma , mechanics , flow (mathematics) , geophysics , magnetosphere , materials science , chemistry , biochemistry , quantum mechanics , composite material
Using 25 observations of damped oscillatory flow behavior in the near‐Earth plasma sheet by the five THEMIS probes during the 2008–2009 magnetotail seasons, we derive the parameters of an oscillating thin filament, such as its oscillation period, damping factor, and entropy. To facilitate comparison with theory, we use measured pressures and magnetic fields with an empirical model to achieve a quantitative representation of the overall structure of the plasma sheet during each event. Because the observed oscillation period of the filament agrees with the oscillation period predicted by Wolf et al. (2012), the observed damped oscillatory flow behavior in the near‐Earth plasma sheet is most likely caused by oscillatory braking of the filament.