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Ionospheric convection signatures of tail fast flows during substorms and Poleward Boundary Intensifications (PBI)
Author(s) -
Zesta Eftyhia,
Shi Yong,
Donovan E.,
Spanswick E.,
Lyons Larry R.,
Angelopoulos V.,
McFadden J. P.,
Carlson C. W.,
Auster HansUlrich,
Mende S.,
McCready M. A.,
Heinselman C. J.,
Kendall E.,
Doe R.
Publication year - 2011
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 - 10.1029/2011gl046758
Subject(s) - substorm , ionosphere , geophysics , plasma sheet , magnetosphere , geology , polar cap , polar , incoherent scatter , convection , physics , plasma , mechanics , astronomy , quantum mechanics
Tail fast flows have been associated both with the onset of substorms and with auroral Poleward Boundary Intensifications (PBIs) that extend equatorward as streamers. We study here a series of bursts of fast tail flow that occurred on 5 March 2008 when four of the THEMIS probes were aligned in the tail from mid‐tail to inner magnetosphere and were in good conjunction with the Sondrestrom Incoherent Scatter Radar. The series of burst are identified as two separate events. We find that the first event is associated with a small substorm onset, and the second with a PBI and then possibly another onset. The ionospheric flow signatures of the substorm and the PBI are distinctly different: the substorm onset is characterized by flow enhancement in the polar cap several minutes before onset and by sudden ionospheric flow reduction at onset, while the PBI is accompanied by a flow enhancement directed primarily equatorward and intruding from the polar cap into the plasma sheet.