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Wavy nature of the magnetotail neutral sheet
Author(s) -
Lui A. T. Y.,
Meng C.I.,
Akasofu S.I.
Publication year - 1978
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/gl005i004p00279
Subject(s) - plasma sheet , neutral plane , flapping , dusk , current sheet , energetic neutral atom , plane (geometry) , physics , magnetosphere , magnetic field , geometry , ion , astronomy , magnetohydrodynamics , mathematics , quantum mechanics , wing , thermodynamics
Crossings of the magnetotail neutral sheet are examined with 20 s averaged magnetic field data from Imp 5 satellite. It is shown that for some multiple neutral sheet crossings, the B y component reverses its sign between adjacent crossings. This feature can be explained in terms of a wavy profile of the neutral sheet along the dawn‐dusk direction, but not in terms of flapping motion or wavy profile of the neutral sheet along the tailward direction. It is suggested that the magnetotail neutral sheet often shows departure from a plane geometry.