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Transport of plasma sheet material to the inner magnetosphere
Author(s) -
Denton M. H.,
Thomsen M. F.,
Lavraud B.,
Henderson M. G.,
Skoug R. M.,
Funsten H. O.,
Jahn J.M.,
Pollock C. J.,
Weygand J. M.
Publication year - 2007
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 - 10.1029/2006gl027886
Subject(s) - plasma sheet , convection , magnetosphere , conjunction (astronomy) , physics , plasma , satellite , substorm , geophysics , geosynchronous orbit , geology , meteorology , atmospheric sciences , astronomy , nuclear physics
The reaction of the plasma sheet in response to an increase in magnetospheric convection is examined using a combination of energetic neutral atom (ENA) imaging and in situ observations. Data from the IMAGE/MENA instrument are examined in conjunction with observations from the magnetospheric plasma analyzer (MPA) instrument onboard the Los Alamos 1994‐084 satellite located in geosynchronous orbit. Examination of the MENA data during an enhanced convection event reveal that between 12:00 and 14:30 UT on 26 June 2001, ENA emissions from the plasma sheet material are observed to strengthen and move Earthwards. A simple calculation of the motion of the peak in ENA emissions following an increase in the convection gives an averaged speed of this sunward surge of around 8 km s −1 between 12:00 and 14:30 UT.