Ion-dispersion and rapid electron fluctuations in the cusp: a case study
We present results from co-ordinated measurements with the low altitude REIMEI satellite and the ESR (EISCAT Svalbard Radar), together with other ground-based instruments carried out in February 2006. The results mainly relate to the dayside cusp where clear signatures of so-called ion-dispersio...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2008-08-01
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| Series: | Annales Geophysicae |
| Online Access: | https://www.ann-geophys.net/26/2485/2008/angeo-26-2485-2008.pdf |
| Summary: | We present results from co-ordinated measurements with the low altitude
REIMEI satellite and the ESR (EISCAT Svalbard Radar), together with other
ground-based instruments carried out in February 2006. The results mainly
relate to the dayside cusp where clear signatures of so-called
ion-dispersion are seen in the satellite data. The cusp ion-dispersion is
important for helping to understand the temporal and spatial structure of
magnetopause reconnection. Whenever a satellite crosses boundaries of flux
tubes or convection cells, cusp structures such as ion-dispersion will
always be encountered. In our case we observed 3 distinct steps in the ion
energy, but it includes at least 2 more steps as well, which we interpret as
temporal features in relation to pulsed reconnection at the magnetopause. In
addition, fast variations of the electron flux and energy occurring during
these events have been studied in detail. The variations of the electron
population, if interpreted as structures crossed by the REIMEI satellite,
would map near the magnetopause to similar features as observed previously
with the Cluster satellites. These were explained as Alfvén waves
originating from an X-line of magnetic reconnection. |
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| ISSN: | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |