Premium
Magnetospheric line radiation event observed simultaneously on board Cluster 1, Cluster 2 and DEMETER spacecraft
Author(s) -
Němec F.,
Santolík O.,
Parrot M.,
Pickett J. S.
Publication year - 2012
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 - 10.1029/2012gl053132
Subject(s) - spacecraft , magnetosphere , equator , physics , cluster (spacecraft) , satellite , line (geometry) , range (aeronautics) , event (particle physics) , earth's magnetic field , radiation , geomagnetic storm , geophysics , astrophysics , astronomy , latitude , magnetic field , optics , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , computer science , programming language , materials science , composite material
We present a case study of a magnetospheric line radiation (MLR) event observed simultaneously by Cluster 1 and Cluster 2 during a perigee passage at a radial distance of about 4 R E and, at the same time, by the low‐orbiting DEMETER satellite. This unique constellation enables us to analyze spatiotemporal variability of the phenomenon. Although the Cluster spacecraft are separated by as much as 0.7 L‐shells, the observed wave pattern is the same on both. The analysis of B to E ratios indicates a quasiparallel propagation, which suggests that the waves cross the geomagnetic equator over a significant range of L‐shells, at least 3.9–4.6. Simultaneous observations by the DEMETER satellite separated by about 1.8 hours in MLT from the Cluster spacecraft indicate a significant azimuthal extent of the source. The obtained results show that during the MLR event the same wave pattern is observed over a significant portion of the inner magnetosphere.