Observations of plasma distributions during the coordinated data analysis workshop substorms of March 31 to April 1, 1979

Technical Report · Sun Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6408481

Huang, C Y; Frank, L A; Eastman, T E

On March 31 and April 1, 1979, a sequence of substorms was recorded on the ground. During the entire active period the ISEE 1 and 2 satellites were located in the magnetotail, between 22 R/sub E/ and 12 R/sub E/ from the earth. Observations of plasma distributions made at varying levels of activity during these substorms provide good examples of typical magnetotail responses. These measurements were obtained with the University of Iowa LEPEDEA on board the ISEE 1 spacecraft. While the entire magnetotail undergoes temporal variations during substorm activity, the most obvious effect seen is spatial motion of preexisting plasma regimes, for example, at substorm onset the central plasma sheet contracts. This can cause a spacecraft to move from the plasma sheet into the boundary layer. As the plasma-sheet boundary layer almost always comprises streaming plasma, the high-speed flows observed there are not necessarily due to the substorm process. The essential nature of the main plasma regions of the magnetotail is relatively unchanged during high activity.

• Research Organization: Iowa Univ., Iowa City (USA). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
• OSTI ID: 6408481
• Report Number(s): AD-A-180501/9/XAB; U.OF-IOWA-86-12
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DATA PROCESSING
DISTRIBUTION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
MAGNETIC STORMS
MAGNETOTAIL
MOTION
PLASMA SHEET
PLASMASPHERE
PROCESSING
SATELLITES
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION