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Counter‐streaming electrons at the geomagnetic equator near 9 R E
Author(s) -
Klumpar D. M.,
Quinn J. M.,
Shelley E. G.
Publication year - 1988
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/gl015i011p01295
Subject(s) - electron , physics , magnetosphere , equator , earth's magnetic field , substorm , ionosphere , electron precipitation , geophysics , van allen radiation belt , flux (metallurgy) , astrophysics , latitude , magnetic field , astronomy , nuclear physics , materials science , quantum mechanics , metallurgy
Observations from the AMPTE/CCE satellite are used to study short‐lived, highly anisotropic electron distributions in the relatively unexplored region of the equatorial magnetosphere between 6.6 R E and the CCE apogee at 8.8 R E . Remarkably intense (∼1×10 9 /cm²‐sec‐sr‐keV) bursts of highly collimated (within 5° of B ) counterstreaming electrons have been observed at keV energies with durations of a few tens of seconds to a few minutes near the geomagnetic equator on L‐shells that intersect the high latitude ionosphere in the region normally associated with the auroral zone. Simultaneous deep depressions of the locally mirroring fluxes accompany the counterstreaming electrons at energies below the peak energy. The field‐aligned electrons have mirror points deep in both the northern and southern hemispheres. We suggest these equatorial electrons may result from the release of auroral electrons trapped beneath the auroral accelerating potentials at lower altitudes along the same magnetic flux tubes.