Simultaneous measurements of energetic protons and electrons in the distant magnetosheath, magnetotail, and upstream in the solar wind

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1978 · Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL005i011p00961· OSTI ID:6774318

Krimigis, S M; Venkatesan, D; Barichello, J C; Sarris, E T

Measurements of energetic protons (E/sub p/>0.29 MeV) and electrons (E/sub e/>0.22 MeV) in the magnetopause/magnetosheath region of the tail and simultaneously upstream from the bow shock in the solar wind using data from JHU/APL instruments on the IMP-7 and IMP-8 spacecraft during December 9 to 14, 1974 are reported. Similar fluxes of protons and electrons exhibiting extreme time variation were found to be present simultaneously in the solar wind and the distant (> or approx. =/sub approximately/30R/sub e/) magnetopause/magnetosheath during this period. Protons and electrons were streaming in the antisolar direction in the magnetosheath, with the protons exhibiting much larger tailward-to-sunward anisotropies (maximum values of approx.700:1 compared to approx.9:1 for protons and electrons, respectively). The ratios of energy densities of protons-to-electrons ranged from approx.500 to >/sub approximately/2000 in the magnetosheath, during selected time intervals. Protons and electrons upstream were moving sunward away from the bow shock. Additional measurements on September 11-12, 1975 in the magnetosheath and inside the magnetotail show proton and electron intensities to be much larger (up to approx. x 10) inside the magnetotail. The observations are interpreted as a temporal rather than spatial phenomenon, the source of the particle bursts being inside the magnetosphere. It is concluded that there is no connection between the presence of energetic particles in the tail magnetopause/magnetosheath and the postulated energy release via field line merging at the subsolar magnetopause.

• Research Organization: Applied Physics Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland 20810
• OSTI ID: 6774318
• Journal Information: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 5:11; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ELECTRON DENSITY
IMP SATELLITES
INTERPLANETARY SPACE
MAGNETOSHEATH
MAGNETOTAIL
PROTON DENSITY
SATELLITES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
SPACE