Substorms, plasmoids, flux robes, and magnetotail flux loss on March 25, 1983: CDAW-8. Technical report
During a 9-hour period following a storm-sudden commencement, six space-craft near geosynchronous orbit, one over the pole, and three in the magnetotail, monitored a complex sequence of magnetospheric variations. Magnetic field compressions associated with the sudden commencement were seen first by the near earth spacecraft and subsequently by the three down-tail spacecraft with increasing time delays that were consistent with the tailward movement of an interplanetary-shock-associated pressure enhancement. Ground magnetograms and synchronous orbit data are used to identify 7 substorm intensifications during this geomagnetically active period. Six of these intensifications are clearly associated with tail lobe field decreases about 18 earth radii behind the earth. Four of these intensifications are followed by both Bz field increases in the tail lobes at about 18 and about 30 earth radii and by the subsequent observation of rapidly flowing plasma sheet plasma at ISEE 3 about 110 earth radii down the tail. During two substorms where DE 1 was optically observing the auroral oval, the area of the polar cap was observed to decrease as the tail lobe field decreased at 18 earth radii. All these observations are consistent with the substorm associated release of a plasmoid at a neutral line near 20 earth radii ; however, the classical north-south variation of the plasma sheet magnetic field, thought to be characteristic of the passage of a plasmoid in the deep tail, was not seen in every case.
- Research Organization:
- Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA (USA). Laboratory Operations
- OSTI ID:
- 6405218
- Report Number(s):
- AD-A-202278/8/XAB; TR-0088(3940-05)-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
VARIATIONS
MAGNETIC STORMS
PLASMA SHEET
SOLAR WIND
GROUND LEVEL
LOSSES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
ORBITS
PROGRESS REPORT
SUDDEN COMMENCEMENTS
DOCUMENT TYPES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
LEVELS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
640201* - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena