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Energetic ion observations of a large scale vortex in the distant geotail
Author(s) -
Sanderson T. R.,
Daly P. W.,
Wenzel K.P.,
Hones E. W.,
Bame S. J.
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/gl011i010p01094
Subject(s) - plasma sheet , magnetosphere , vortex , physics , ion , boundary layer , plasma , atomic physics , geophysics , mechanics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics
We present first observations in the deep tail of the magnetosphere of a vortex structure in both energetic ions (E > 35 keV) and plasma. We observe a vortex, with period about 15 minutes, at X = −217 R e within the energetic ion boundary layer which marks the boundary between the plasma sheet and the southern lobe. The vortex, which was coplanar with the boundary layer, was observed between a region of tailward flow of energetic ions (i.e. the plasma sheet) and a region with no tailward flow (i.e. the southern lobe).