Evidence of high-latitude reconnecting during northward IMF: Hawkeye observations

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/95GL03083· OSTI ID:245096

Kessel, R L; Chen, S H; Green, J L ^[1]

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1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States); and others

Reconnection is accepted as an important process for driving the solar wind/magnetospheric interaction although it is not fully understood. In particular, reconnection for northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) at high-latitudes tailward of the cusp, has received little attention in comparison with equatorial reconnection for southward IMF. Using Hawkeye data the authors present the first direct observations of reconnection at the high-latitude magnetopause (75{degrees}) during northward IMF in the form of sunward flowing protons. This flow is nearly field aligned, approximately Alfvenic, and roughly obeys tangential momentum balance. The magnetic field shear is large at the magnetopause and there is a non-zero B{sub N} component suggesting the existence of a rotational discontinuity and reconnection. The Hawkeye observations support several recent simulations at least qualitatively in terms of flow directions expected for high-latitude reconnection during northward IMF. 16 refs., 3 figs.

• OSTI ID: 245096
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 23; ISSN GPRLAJ; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
INTERPLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS
LATITUDE EFFECT
MAGNETIC RECONNECTION
MAGNETOPAUSE
REMOTE SENSING