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Structure of plasmaspheric plumes and their participation in magnetopause reconnection: First results from THEMIS
Author(s) -
McFadden J. P.,
Carlson C. W.,
Larson D.,
Bonnell J.,
Mozer F. S.,
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 - 10.1029/2008gl033677
Subject(s) - magnetopause , plume , geophysics , physics , flux (metallurgy) , plasma , magnetic reconnection , spacecraft , flux tube , azimuth , computational physics , magnetosphere , atmospheric sciences , astrophysics , astronomy , magnetic field , magnetic flux , meteorology , materials science , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
New observations by the THEMIS spacecraft have revealed dense (>10 cm −3 ) plasmaspheric plumes extending to the magnetopause. The large scale radial structure of these plumes is revealed by multi‐spacecraft measurements. Temporal variations in the radial distribution of plume plasma, caused by azimuthal density gradients coupled with azimuthal flow, are also shown to contribute to plume structure. In addition, flux tubes with cold plume plasma are shown to participate in reconnection, with simultaneous observations of cold ions and reconnection flow jets on open flux tubes as revealed by the loss of hot magnetospheric electrons.