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Diagnosing the plasmapause with a network of closely spaced ground‐based magnetometers
Author(s) -
Milling D. K.,
Mann I. R.,
Menk F. W.
Publication year - 2001
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 - 10.1029/2000gl011935
Subject(s) - plasmasphere , latitude , magnetometer , geophysics , physics , discontinuity (linguistics) , ionosphere , geology , geodesy , computational physics , magnetic field , magnetosphere , mathematics , mathematical analysis , quantum mechanics
Using cross‐phase analysis on data from the closely spaced magnetometers of the BEAR array, we have obtained meridional frequency‐latitude profiles of field line resonances (FLRs) from the inner plasmasphere, across the plasmapause and into the plasmatrough. The location of the plasmapause is indicated by the discontinuity in the frequency‐latitude profile and is confirmed by a Kp‐dependent model plasmapause position. We show that the cross‐phase response from stations separated by < 0.5 L is inhibited when the plasmapause is overhead. We are thus able to track the motion of the plasmapause polewards during the day by plotting the time development of the cross‐phase spectra as a function of latitude. In addition we observe anomalous frequency values obtained from more widely separated station pairs (> 1 L) spanning the plasmapause leading us to conclude that caution must be exercised when interpreting the cross‐phase response from pairs of stations at mid‐latitudes.