ISEE 3 study of average and substorm conditions in the distant magnetotail

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1995 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5009647

Slavin, J A; Smith, E J; Sibeck, D G; Baker, D N; Zwickl, R D; Akasofu, S

Average and substorm conditions in the lobe plasma sheet regions of the earth's magnetotail are studied as a function of downstream distance and east-west location using ISEE 3 magnetometer and plasma analyzer measurements. On the basis of 756 magnetopause crossings a low-latitude magnetotail diameter of 60 +- 5 R/sub E/ at Vertical Bar X Vertical Bar = 130--225 R/sub E/ is determined. The strength of the lobe magnetic field from Vertical Bar X Vertical Bar = 20 to 130 R/sub E/ is shown to fall off as X/sup -0.53plus-or-minus0.05/. Flaring ceases on average at Vertical Bar X Vertical Bar = 120 +- 10 R/sub E/ with a relatively constant B/sub L/ = 9.2 nT beyond that distance. The ratios Vertical Bar B/sub y//B/sub x/ Vertical Bar and Vertical Bar B/sub z//B/sub x/ Vertical Bar in the translunar tail lobes are small and relatively constant with mean values of 0.10 and 0.06, respectively. These results are shown to be in good agreement with the Coroniti-Kennel flaring tail models of lobe magnetic field configuration with slightly enhanced B/sub y/ due to Maxwell stresses exerted at the magnetopause by the solar wind. The plasma parameters V/sub x/, n/sub e/, ..beta../sub e/, and M/sub A/ in the lobes all increase with distance down the tail while T/sub e/ decreases.

• Research Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
• OSTI ID: 5009647
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 90:A11; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC STORMS
MAGNETOPAUSE
MAGNETOTAIL
PLASMA SHEET