Open AccessLatitudinal density dependence of magnetic field lines inferred from Polar plasma wave data
Author(s) -
Goldstein J.,
Denton R. E.,
Hudson M. K.,
Miftakhova E. G.,
Young S. L.,
Menietti J. D.,
Gallagher D. L.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2000ja000068
Subject(s) - plasmasphere , polar , physics , plasma , electron density , field line , equator , trough (economics) , magnetic field , magnetosphere , latitude , computational physics , atomic physics , geophysics , astronomy , macroeconomics , quantum mechanics , economics
Using observations of the electron density n e based on measurement of the upper hybrid resonance frequency by the Polar spacecraft Plasma Wave Instrument, we have examined the radial density dependence along field lines in the outer plasmasphere and the near plasma trough. Our technique depends on the fact that Polar crosses particular L values at two different points with different radial distance R . Sampled L values range from 2.5 to 6.3. In our plasmaspheric data set ( n e ≥ 100 cm −3 ) we find that, on average, n e is flat along field lines from the equator up to the latitudes sampled by Polar ( R ≳ 2 R E ). In the plasma trough data set ( n e < 100 cm −3 ) there is, on average, a mild radial dependence n e ∝ R −1.7 .