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| Titel |
Cluster observations of the substructure of a flux transfer event: analysis of high-time-resolution particle data |
| VerfasserIn |
A. Varsani, C. J. Owen, A. N. Fazakerley, C. Forsyth, A. P. Walsh, M. André, I. Dandouras, C. M. Carr |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
0992-7689
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Annales Geophysicae ; 32, no. 9 ; Nr. 32, no. 9 (2014-09-08), S.1093-1117 |
| Datensatznummer |
250121105
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/angeo-32-1093-2014.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Flux transfer events (FTEs) are signatures of transient reconnection at the
dayside magnetopause, transporting flux from the dayside of the magnetosphere
into the magnetotail lobes. They have previously been observed to contain a
combination of magnetosheath and magnetospheric plasma. On 12 February 2007,
the four Cluster spacecraft were widely separated across the magnetopause and
observed a crater-like FTE as they crossed the Earth's dayside magnetopause
through its low-latitude boundary layer. The particle instruments on the
Cluster spacecraft were in burst mode and returning data providing 3-D
velocity distribution functions (VDFs) at 4 s resolution during the
observation of this FTE. Moreover, the magnetic field observed during the
event remained closely aligned with the spacecraft spin axis and thus we have
been able to use these 3-D data to reconstruct nearly full pitch angle
distributions of electrons and ions at high time resolution (up to 32 times
faster than available from the normal mode data stream). These observations
within the boundary layer and inside the core of the FTE show that both the
interior and the surrounding structure of the FTE consist of multiple
individual layers of plasma, in greater number than previously identified.
Our observations show a cold plasma inside the core, a thin layer of
antiparallel-moving electrons at the edge of FTE itself, and field-aligned
ions with Alfvénic speeds at the trailing edge of the FTE. We discuss the
plasma characteristics in these FTE layers, their possible relevance to the
magnetopause reconnection processes and attempt to distinguish which of the
various different FTE models may be relevant in this case. These data are
particularly relevant given the impending launch of NASA's MMS mission, for
which similar observations are expected to be more routine. |
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