Cluster Observations of a Near-Earth Neutral Line on August 27, 2001

Details Cluster Observations of a Near-Earth Neutral Line on August 27, 2001 Cluster Observations of a Near-Earth Neutral Line on August 27, 2001

Dec 2003

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003agufmsm31a..03m&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2003, abstract #SM31A-03

Physics

2740 Magnetospheric Configuration And Dynamics, 2744 Magnetotail, 2764 Plasma Sheet, 2788 Storms And Substorms

Scientific paper

At 0400 UT on August 27, 2001 the Cluster spacecraft located near midnight at 19 Re began to observe a tailward flow with southward magnetic field. This flow persisted for several minutes and then both field and flow reversed to northward and Earthward. The event was associated with a rotation of the magnetic field from its usual orientation along the GSM X-axis to nearly antiparallel to the Y-axis. In a principal axis system the Bx' component changed from +12 nT to -12 nT and then back. As the spacecraft passed downward through Bx' = 0 significant current antiparallel to the magnetic field was encountered. At this time the line containing the field and current pointed roughly 45 from gsm Bx towards dawn. The plasma flow was generally tailward orthogonal to the line containing the field and current. While the spacecraft were in the region of negative Bx' the plasma flow was tailward along X. When the spacecraft returned through Bx' = 0 the current and field were again antiparallel at 45 and the flow was still tailward orthogonal to the current and field. Next the flow rotated 180 becoming Earthward with a duskward component. These observations suggest that an x-line formed Earthward of Cluster releasing a structure that was convected tailward past the spacecraft. This x-line remained Earthward of Cluster for four minutes steadily forcing plasma tailward with imbedded southward magnetic field. The x-line then moved tailward past Cluster rotating the field to northward and the flow to Earthward. These observations become particularly important when placed in the context of substorm activity on this day. A major substorm expansion followed the onset of the x-line signatures by about six minutes.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Cluster Observations of a Near-Earth Neutral Line on August 27, 2001 does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Cluster Observations of a Near-Earth Neutral Line on August 27, 2001, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cluster Observations of a Near-Earth Neutral Line on August 27, 2001 will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1648966