Comparisons of Polar satellite observations of solitary wave velocities in the plasma sheet boundary and the high altitude cusp to those in the auroral zone

C. A Cattell; J Dombeck; J. R Wygant; M. K Hudson; F. S Mozer; M. A Temerin; W. K Peterson; C. A Kletzing; C. T Russell; R. F Pfaff

doi:10.1029/1998GL900304

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Comparisons of Polar satellite observations of solitary wave velocities in the plasma sheet boundary and the high altitude cusp to those in the auroral zone

Journal article

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Comparisons of Polar satellite observations of solitary wave velocities in the plasma sheet boundary and the high altitude cusp to those in the auroral zone

C. A Cattell, J Dombeck, J. R Wygant, M. K Hudson, F. S Mozer, M. A Temerin, W. K Peterson, C. A Kletzing, C. T Russell and R. F Pfaff

Geophysical research letters, Vol.26(3), pp.425-428

1999

DOI: 10.1029/1998GL900304

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Abstract

Characteristics of solitary waves observed by Polar in the high altitude cusp, polar cap and plasma sheet boundary are reported and compared to observations in the auroral zone. The study presented herein shows that, at high altitudes, the solitary waves are positive potential structures (electron holes), with scale sizes of the order of 10's of Debye lengths, which usually propagate with velocities of a few thousand km/s. At the plasma sheet boundary, the direction of propagation can be either upward or downward; whereas at the leading edge of high altitude cusp energetic particle injections, it is downward. For these high altitude events, explanations based on ion modes and on electron modes are both examined, and the electron mode interpretation is shown to be more consistent with observations.

Earth, ocean, space

Electrostatic and electromagnetic waves

Exact sciences and technology

External geophysics

Physics of the magnetosphere

Details

Title: Subtitle: Comparisons of Polar satellite observations of solitary wave velocities in the plasma sheet boundary and the high altitude cusp to those in the auroral zone
Creators: C. A Cattell - University of Minnesota
J Dombeck - University of Minnesota
J. R Wygant - University of Minnesota
M. K Hudson - Dartmouth College
F. S Mozer - University of California, Berkeley
M. A Temerin - University of California, Berkeley
W. K Peterson - Lockheed‐Martin Research Lab, Palo Alto, California
C. A Kletzing - University of Iowa
C. T Russell - University of California, Los Angeles
R. F Pfaff - Goddard Space Flight Center
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.26(3), pp.425-428
DOI: 10.1029/1998GL900304
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Publisher: American Geophysical Union
Language: English
Date published: 1999
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984199840702771

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