Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2003
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003agufmsm52f..01t&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2003, abstract #SM52F-01
Physics
2716 Energetic Particles, Precipitating, 2724 Magnetopause, Cusp, And Boundary Layers, 2784 Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions
Scientific paper
Ground-based observations (SuperDARN) together with multi-spacecraft observations (Polar, FAST, Interball and the Cluster satellites) reveal that structures observed in the cusp are both temporal and spatial phenomenon. While temporal cusp structures maybe the result of variations in the reconnection rate at the magnetopause, spatial cusp structures are thought to be due to spatially separated flux tubes emenating from multiple reconnection regions at the magnetopause. In this study we analyze a double cusp structure observed by the Cluster satellites. The analysis of the double cusp together with ionospheric convection information by the SuperDARN radar arrays show that these structures are associated with different convection cells, consistent with a spatial phenomenon. The distance to the reconnection line for both structures was calculated using the proven method of 3D cuts of the Cluster proton distribution function in the cusp to identify the low energy cutoffs of precipitating and mirrored ion populations. The calculated distance to the reconnection line is determined by tracing along the geomagnetic field to the reconnection site, where the draped IMF is used to estimate the magnetic field shear angle across the magnetopause. We find that double cusp precipitation originates in the anti-parallel reconnection regions in the northern and southern hemispheres, confirming the multiple reconnection line scenario.
Fuselier Stephen A.
Petrinec Steven M.
Trattner K. J.
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