Large electric field at the nightside plasmapause observed by the Polar spacecraft

Details Large electric field at the nightside plasmapause observed by the Polar spacecraft Large electric field at the nightside plasmapause observed by the Polar spacecraft

Jul 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010jgra..11507219k&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 115, Issue A7, CiteID A07219

Physics

Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetosphere/Ionosphere Interactions (2431), Magnetospheric Physics: Electric Fields (2411), Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetosphere: Inner, Magnetospheric Physics: Substorms

Scientific paper

We report an example of large electric field with a peak amplitude of ˜60 mV/m observed at the plasmapause by the Polar spacecraft on April 25, 1998. This electric field pointed radially outward and predominantly perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field. As comparing the plasmapause crossings in the previous and following Polar passes, we found that the large electric field is associated with forming a sharp plasmapause structure. Comparing with previous observations of subauroral electric fields in the ionosphere and magnetosphere, we suggest that the large electric field observed at Polar is associated with the subauroral ion drift phenomenon. In addition, we observed a negative-then-positive magnetic field perturbation at the plasmapause. That is, the magnetic field is reduced outside the plasmapause and enhanced inside the plasmapause. The field perturbation is dominant in the meridional plane. We suggest that the magnetic field perturbation is due to the dawnward plasmapause current (Jpp), which is associated with the balance of forces ($\nabla$P ˜ Jpp × B) at the plasmapause, perpendicular to the background magnetic field.

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