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Structure of the subsolar magnetopause regions during northward IMF: First results from THEMIS
Author(s) -
McFadden J. P.,
Phan T. D.,
Carlson C. W.,
Angelopoulos V.,
Glassmeier K.H.,
Auster U.
Publication year - 2008
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 - 10.1029/2008gl033630
Subject(s) - magnetosheath , magnetopause , physics , geophysics , electron , magnetic reconnection , boundary layer , solar wind , plasma sheet , astrophysics , magnetosphere , plasma , mechanics , quantum mechanics
THEMIS observations at the sub‐solar magnetopause reveal the structure of the low latitude boundary layer (LLBL) and magnetosheath boundary layer (MSBL) during northward IMF. Unlike previous single spacecraft observations of this region, four of the five THEMIS spacecraft were able to capture the transition of magnetosheath plasma with no electron heating to uni‐directional heated electrons followed by bi‐directional heated electrons, demonstrating that this electron structure is spatial. Furthermore, the sequence of these transitions shows that the bi‐directional heated electrons appear at the outer edge of the weak magnetopause current sheet. Since heated magnetosheath electrons outside the magnetopause current layer are used as an indicator of lobe reconnection in the hemisphere radiating these electrons, reconnection in both lobes is observed before the flux tubes cross the magnetopause. In essence, these observations provide convincing evidence that the LLBL was formed by dual‐lobe reconnection.