Plasma waves in the distant geomagnetic tail: ISEE 3

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA095iA12p20977· OSTI ID:5268741

Coroniti, F V; Greenstadt, E W ^[1]; Tsurutani, B T; Smith, E J ^[2]; Zwickl, R D ^[3]; Gosling, J T ^[4]

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1. TRW Space and Technology Group, Redondo Beach, CA (USA)
2. Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA)
3. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO (USA)
4. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)

The plasma wave measurements obtained during ISEE 3's deep passes through the geomagnetic tail found that moderate to intense electric field turbulence occurred in association with the major plasma and magnetic field regions and flow phenomena. In the magnetopause boundary layer the electric field spectral amplitudes are typically sharply peaked at 316 Hz to 562 Hz. The tail lobe region which is upstream of slow shocks and is magnetically connected to the plasma sheet is characterized by wave spectra that peak in the 100- to 316-Hz range and at the electron plasma frequency. Within the plasma sheet, broadband electrostatic noise occurs in regions where the magnetic field strength exceeds 2 nT; this noise can also be found in the plasma sheet boundary layer in association with strong field-aligned plasma flows. As ISEE 3 moved between the different distant tail regions, distinct but often subtle changes occurred in the plasma wave spectra. Occasionally, plasma oscillations indicate that the distant tail contains a population of relatively dense cold electrons.

• OSTI ID: 5268741
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 95:A12; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BOUNDARY LAYERS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
LAYERS
LEPTONS
MAGNETOPAUSE
MAGNETOTAIL
PLASMA SHEET
PLASMA WAVES
SATELLITES
SHOCK WAVES
SPECTRA