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Detailed examination of a plasmoid in the distant magnetotail with ISEE 3
Author(s) -
Hones E. W.,
Birn J.,
Baker D. N.,
Bame S. J.,
Feldman W. C.,
McComas D. J.,
Zwickl R. D.,
Slavin J. A.,
Smith E. J.,
Tsurutani B. T.
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/gl011i010p01046
Subject(s) - plasmoid , substorm , physics , electrojet , plasma , geophysics , magnetic reconnection , magnetic field , atomic physics , earth's magnetic field , magnetosphere , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics
A detailed description of a plasmoid is presented based on plasma electron data, energetic particle data, and magnetic field data from ISEE 3. The plasmoid, 75‐150 R E long, traveling tailward at 500‐1000 km/sec, appeared at ISEE 3, ∼220 R E down‐tail, 27 minutes after a very strong intensification of the auroral electrojet was recorded at several ground stations. The plasmoid was overlaid by a "separatrix layer" within which energetic particles, probably originating at a near‐earth reconnection region, streamed freely tailward along the field lines, the slower particles being encountered deeper within the layer. The plasmoid contained plasma of uniformly high temperature and its boundary was ≲ 1 R E thick.