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Three‐satellite measurements and field‐line mapping of the outer plasma sheet boundary from r ∼1.2 to ∼18 R E during substorms
Author(s) -
Pytte T.,
Lundjbad J. Å,
Söraas F.,
Hones E. W.,
West H. 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/gl005i007p00585
Subject(s) - plasma sheet , physics , field line , geophysics , current sheet , electron precipitation , magnetosphere , plasma , satellite , precipitation , line (geometry) , atmospheric sciences , geometry , magnetohydrodynamics , astronomy , meteorology , mathematics , quantum mechanics
Simultaneous and near‐conjugate observations of energetic particles in the outer region of the plasma sheet by three satellites (Esro 1A, Ogo 5, and Vela 5B) show clear indications of a close relationship between the instantaneous latitudinal location of the high‐latitude precipitation boundary at 1000 to 1500 km height and the thickness of the plasma sheet at geocentric distances of 10 to 18 R E . By comparing low‐altitude and magnetotail particle energy spectra and by using recent magnetospheric field‐line models as spatial reference systems, we find evidence that the precipitation boundary and the outer plasma sheet boundary are magnetically connected. The correlation between plasma sheet recovery and a poleward expansion of the precipitation boundary from Λ ∼70° to ∼75° late in substorms suggests that this recovery is associated with rapid magnetic field‐line reconnection as the reconnection region apparently moves to a more distant location in the tail.