Comparison of Echo 7 field line length measurements to magnetospheric model predictions
- Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis (United States)
- Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO (United States)
The Echo 7 sounding rocket experiment injected electron beams on central tail field lines near L = 6.5. Numerous injections returned to the payload as conjugate echoes after mirroring in the southern hemisphere. The authors compare field line lengths calculated from measured conjugate echo bounce times and energies to predictions made by integrating electron trajectories through various magnetospheric models: the Olson-Pfitzer Quiet and Dynamic models and the Tsyganenko-Usmanov model. Although Kp at launch was 3{minus}, quiet time magnetic models est fit the echo measurements. Geosynchronous satellite magnetometer measurements near the Echo 7 field lies during the flight were best modeled by the Olson-Pfitzer Dynamic Model and the Tsyganenko-Usmanov model for Kp = 3. The discrepancy between the models that best fit the Echo 7 data and those that fit the satellite data was most likely due to uncertainties in the small-scale configuration of the magnetospheric models. The field line length measured by the conjugate echoes showed some temporal variation in the magnetic field, also indicated by the satellite magnetometers. This demonstrates the utility an Echo-style experiment could have in substorm studies.
- OSTI ID:
- 5439792
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 97:A2; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BEAM INJECTION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONFIGURATION
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRON BEAM INJECTION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EVALUATION
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC BAYS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MORPHOLOGY
ROCKETS
TRAJECTORIES