A multisatellite study of a Pseudo-substorm onset in the near-earth magnetotail

Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Journal of Geophysical Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/93JA01421· OSTI ID:146566

Ohtani, S; Anderson, B J; Sibeck, D G ^[1]

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1. Johns Hopkins Univ. Applied Physics Lab., Laurel, MD (United States); and others

This paper reports the multisatellite and ground observations of two pseudo-substorm onset events that occurred successively at 0747 UT and 0811 UT, May 30, 1985, with more atStention to the 0747 UT onset. The distinguishing features of the 0747 UT event are as follows. (1) The substorm-associated tail reconfiguration started in a very localized region in the near-Earth magnetotail. (2) The magnitude of the current disruption decreased markedly as the disruption region expanded tailward. (3) On the ground the onset of a very small negative bay ({approximately}40 nT) was observed simultaneously with the onset of the current disruption, but over a much wider local time sector than the near-Earth tail reconfiguration. Positive bay onsets at mid-latitudes also had a longitudinally wide distribution. From these features the authors infer that in the present event the current disruption took place filamentarily near AMPTE/CCE at {approximately}8.8 R{sub E}. It is also inferred that pseudo-substorm onsets are distinguished from standard substorm onsets by the absence of a global expansion of the current disruption, and that the spatial scale of the onset region in the magnetosphere is not a major difference between the two. The present study suggests that the spatial distribution of the magnetic distortion before onsets is an important factor to determine the expansion scale of the current disruption. It is also suggested that the current disruption is basically an internal process of the magnetosphere. 52 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 146566
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research Journal Issue: A11 Vol. 98; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
MAGNETIC STORMS
MAGNETOTAIL
PLASMA DISRUPTION
REMOTE SENSING
SATELLITES
START-UP