Comparison of the Distribution of the In Situ Ring Current Density Based on Magnetic Field Observations From THEMIS, MMS and Cluster
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- School of Space and Earth Sciences Beihang University Beijing China
- School of Space and Earth Sciences Beihang University Beijing China, RAL_Space STFC Didcot UK
- National Institute of Natural Hazards Ministry of Emergency Management of China Beijing China
- Department of Earth Planetary and Space Sciences UCLA Los Angeles CA USA
- ESA/ESTEC SCI‐SO Noordwijk the Netherlands
Abstract We review and extend previous work on the ring current density distribution by applying the curlometer technique to multi‐spacecraft magnetic field data on different spatial scales, directly comparing the results of three space missions: Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS), The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) and Cluster, that have so far accrued decades of data on a range of spatial separation scales. We suggest that the statistical results of Cluster data over two decades can illustrate well the overall form of the ring current (in the ring plane), but can underestimate the current density, while THEMIS (partially) and MMS are able to observe the detailed structure of the ring current and indeed show different behavior on some (smaller) spatial scales. These results suggest that, in addition to the local time and radial form, reported previously, the morphology of the ring current may also depend on magnetic latitude, as influenced by the tilt angle between the inner and outer magnetic fields.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 2543168
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 130; ISSN 2169-9380
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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