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The lobe to plasma sheet boundary layer transition: Theory and observations
Author(s) -
Schriver D.,
AshourAbdalla M.,
Treumann R.,
Nakamura M.,
Kistler L. M.
Publication year - 1990
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/gl017i011p02027
Subject(s) - plasma sheet , plasma , boundary layer , physics , atomic physics , ion , proton , magnetosphere , geophysics , computational physics , mechanics , nuclear physics , quantum mechanics
The lobe and the plasma sheet boundary layer in the Earth's magnetotail are regions of different plasma conditions and share a common interface. The transition from the lobe to the plasma sheet boundary layer is examined here using AMPTE/IRM data. When the satellite crossed from the lobe to the plasma sheet boundary layer, intense narrow banded wave bursts at 1 kHz were observed and then broadband electrostatic noise (BEN) immediately followed. Simultaneous with the onset of BEN, high energy earthward streaming proton beams at > 40 keV (> 2700 km/s) were detected. These results are used as input into a numerical simulation to study ion beam instabilities in the PSBL.