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Location and propagation of the magnetotail current disruption during substorm expansion: Analysis and simulation of an ISEE multi‐onset event
Author(s) -
Jacquey C.,
Sauvaud J. A.,
Dandouras J.
Publication year - 1991
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 - 10.1029/90gl02789
Subject(s) - substorm , plasma sheet , current sheet , geophysics , physics , current (fluid) , magnetosphere , geology , magnetic field , magnetohydrodynamics , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
Magnetic field variations measured onboard the ISEE‐1 spacecraft in the tail northern lobe (∼22 R E geocentric distance) during a substorm with multiple onsets are analyzed and simulated using a model current sheet. This remote sensing study of the cross‐tail current sheet shows that substorm onsets are associated with a partial disruption of the cross‐tail current that begins in the near‐earth plasma sheet (∼7 R E ) and that expands tailward during substorm expansion with a velocity of the order of 300 km/s. The two consecutive substorm onsets, which occur during a very active period (AE > 500 nT), correspond to a similar partial disruption of the near‐earth current sheet that expands tailwards over a distance of the order of 80 R E .