A flux rope followed by recurring encounters with traveling compression regions: GEOTAIL observations

Journal Article · Thu Dec 15 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/94GL02101· OSTI ID:70483

Kawano, H; Nakamura, M ^[1]; Yamamoto, T; Tsuruda, K; Hayakawa, H ^[2]; Kokubun, S; Yumoto, K ^[3]; Lui, A T.Y.; Williams, D J ^[4]; Okada, T ^[5]

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1. Univ. of Tokyo (Japan)
2. Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Kanagawa (Japan)
3. Nagoya Univ., Toyokawa (Japan)
4. Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (United States)
5. Toyama Prefectural Univ., Kosugi (Japan); and others

This paper reports a peculiar series of events observed with Geotail on October 24, 1992 at X {approx_equal} {minus}80 R{sub E}. On this day a combination of a bipolar perturbation in B{sub y} and a double-peaked perturbation in B{sub z}, signature of a flux rope, was observed. Following this flux rope, bipolar B{sub z} events, identifiable as Traveling Compression Regions (TCRs), were recurrently observed. The axis of the flux rope was deduced to be field-aligned. Energetic ions (electrons) streamed earthward (tailward) in the flux rope. During the TCRs, the ExB flow showed a bipolar north-then-south perturbation, consistent with expected lobe plasma motion. The TCRs corresponded to weak ground magnetic disturbances and Pi2 waves. The observations can be explained by a model in which quasi-stagnant plasmoids are recurrently generated. 16 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 70483
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 25 Vol. 21; ISSN GPRLAJ; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
DISTURBANCES
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
MAGNETIC FLUX
MAGNETOTAIL
PLASMA DRIFT
TAIL ELECTRONS
TAIL IONS
WAVE PROPAGATION