Flow bursts and dipolarization flux bundles: elements of global substorm evolution

Physics

Scientific paper

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[2744] Magnetospheric Physics / Magnetotail, [2764] Magnetospheric Physics / Plasma Sheet

Scientific paper

Dipolarized flux bundles encompassing reduced density, heated and accelerated plasma are frequently observed within magnetotail bursty bulk flows at various downtail distances. THEMIS studies have revealed that the origin of those flux tubes can be traced to the tail reconnection region, whereas their inward protrusion can be measured inside of the inner edge of the plasma sheet and result in particle injections at geosynchronous altitude. Their propagation is enabled by their low density and low plasma pressure, in a manner akin to the bubble mechanism and consistent with MHD simulations. On the other hand, their motion is too fast for the particles within them to be in equilibrium along the flux tube and with the ionosphere, therefore a current system internal to the magnetotail is involved with most of their propagation along the tail. We discuss the evolution of the individual flow bursts and flux bundles prior to and during their collision with the inner magnetosphere from the viewpoint of their current systems. We suggest that individual fronts represent elemental "wedglets" that sweep up the cross-tail current along their path in their local time sector, and build up the global substorm current wedge as they interact with the inner magnetosphere. Thus, the dipolarized, underdense flux bundles not only heat and accelerate plasma Earthward but also couple the near-Earth tail lobe flux reduction to the substorm field aligned current system of the inner magnetosphere.

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