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Direct observations of passages of the distant neutral line (80‐140 R E ) following substorm pnsets: ISEE‐3
Author(s) -
Baker D. N.,
Bame S. J.,
Birn J.,
Feldman W. C.,
Gosling J. T.,
Hones E. W.,
Zwickl R. D.,
Slavin J. A.,
Smith E. J.,
Tsurutani B. T.,
Sibeck D. G.
Publication year - 1984
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/gl011i010p01042
Subject(s) - substorm , plasma sheet , physics , geophysics , plasma , geostationary orbit , field line , magnetosphere , astrophysics , astronomy , satellite , nuclear physics
Detailed plasma and field data are examined for a period of time when ISEE‐3 is in the range −140 ≲ X GSM ≲ −80 R E . Several clear examples, at a frequency of ∼ once per day, of strong southward magnetic field followed by strong northward field occur when ISEE‐3 is in the plasma sheet. During the southward field intervals, the bulk plasma flow is strongly tailward while during the northward field episodes the plasma flow is generally very weak. In all instances of this kind, the signatures at ISEE‐3 follow (by 5‐10 minutes) the initial impulsive injection of energetic ions at geostationary orbit. It is suggested that the south‐to‐north field transitions and plasma flow patterns are produced by the passage over ISEE‐3 of the distant neutral line immediately following near‐earth substorm onset.