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Electromagnetic fluctuations in the vicinity of the magnetopause
Author(s) -
Rezeau L.,
Perraut S.,
Roux A.
Publication year - 1986
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/gl013i011p01093
Subject(s) - magnetopause , physics , geostationary orbit , computational physics , geophysics , boundary layer , spacecraft , range (aeronautics) , magnetosphere , magnetic field , spectral line , standard deviation , mechanics , satellite , astronomy , quantum mechanics , statistics , materials science , mathematics , composite material
A detailed analysis of electromagnetic fluctuations recorded during several magnetopause and boundary layer crossings by the ESA GEOS‐2 geostationary spacecraft is presented. A high level of electromagnetic (δE/ δB ∼ V A ) fluctuations in the ULF (0 ‐ 10 Hz) range is observed for each such crossing. The obtained frequency spectra are shown to fit with a power law B² ∼ f −α . The distribution of these α indexes is found to be narrow (standard deviation ≲ 0.25 for 0.5 ≤ f ≤ 11 Hz), with a peak value α ∼ 2.5 which does not depend on the direction with respect to the magnetic field. Data suggest that the magnetopause boundary layer is the source of these intense fluctuations.