Cold streams of ionospheric oxygen in the plasma sheet during the CDAW 6 event of March 22, 1979
During magnetospheric substorm events, the plasma and ion composition experiments in the ISEE-1 and 2 satellites detected cold ionospheric O+ streams, moving tailwards in the near earth magnetotail. Flow is parallel to the magnetic field lines, with drift velocity in agreement with the electric field topology obtained by mapping the model ionospheric field along the magnetic field lines. Fluctuations of the flow velocity of the streams can be related to magnetotail movements. Oscillations of the flow direction and speed with periods ranging from 5 to 10 min that suggest the presence of waves are observed. The streams are observed at all distances between 15 and 6 Re from the earth. When averaged over 360 deg, the streams show up as a low energy peak, superimposed on the distribution of isotropic plasma sheet ions. This double-peak structure of the energy spectrum seems typical of the disturbed plasma sheet. 25 references.
- Research Organization:
- CNR, Rome, Italy; Bern Universitaet, Switzerland; Iowa Univ., Iowa City; Lockheed Research Lab., Palo Alto, CA; Kungl. Tekniska Hogskolan, Stockholm, Sweden
- OSTI ID:
- 6098783
- Journal Information:
- J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 90; ISSN JGREA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CHARGED PARTICLES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ENERGY SPECTRA
IONIC COMPOSITION
IONOSPHERIC STORMS
IONS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETOTAIL
OXYGEN IONS
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA SHEET
SPECTRA