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Multiple‐spacecraft observation of a narrow transient plasma jet in the Earth's plasma sheet
Author(s) -
Sergeev V. A.,
Sauvaud J. A.,
Popescu D.,
Kovrazhkin R. A.,
Liou K.,
Newell P. T.,
Brittnacher M.,
Parks G.,
Nakamura R.,
Mukai T.,
Reeves G. D.
Publication year - 2000
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 - 10.1029/1999gl010729
Subject(s) - plasma sheet , plasma , magnetosphere , physics , jet (fluid) , convection , spacecraft , substorm , geophysics , transient (computer programming) , mechanics , astronomy , nuclear physics , computer science , operating system
We use observations from five magnetospheric spacecraft in a fortuitous constellation to show that narrow transient plasma flow jets of considerable length formed in the tail can intrude into the inner magnetosphere and provide considerable contribution to the total plasma transport. A specific auroral structure, the auroral streamer, accompanied the development of this narrow plasma jet. These observations support the ‘boiling’ plasma sheet model consisting of localized underpopulated plasma tubes (bubbles) moving Earthward at high speeds as a realistic way to resolve the ‘convection crisis’ and to close the global magnetospheric circulation pattern.