Simultaneous observations of solar wind plasma entry from FAST and POLAR

W. K Peterson; Y.-K Tung; C. W Carlson; J. H Clemmons; H. L Collin; R. E Ergun; S. A Fuselier; C. A Kletzing; D. M Klumpar; O. W Lennartsson; R. P Lepping; N. C Maynard; J. P McFadden; T. G Onsager; W. J Peria; C. T Russell; E. G Shelley; L Tang; J Wygant

doi:10.1029/98GL00668

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Simultaneous observations of solar wind plasma entry from FAST and POLAR

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Simultaneous observations of solar wind plasma entry from FAST and POLAR

W. K Peterson, Y.-K Tung, C. W Carlson, J. H Clemmons, H. L Collin, R. E Ergun, S. A Fuselier, C. A Kletzing, D. M Klumpar, O. W Lennartsson, …

Geophysical research letters, Vol.25(12), pp.2081-2084

06/15/1998

DOI: 10.1029/98GL00668

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Abstract

On November 15, 1996, NASA FAST and POLAR satellites obtained data in the cusp/cleft region for extended intervals. POLAR sampled a narrow range of local times. FAST observed cusp/cleft plasma for more than 5 hours in local time. At 07:51 UT the satellites were in near magnetic conjunction, and the interplanetary magnetic field was steady for an extended interval before this time. We confirm prior observations that show solar wind plasma often enters the magnetosphere over extended regions of local time. For the one hour interval of steady solar wind conditions when POLAR encountered cusp/cleft plasma, irregularly spaced ion injections interspersed with intervals of nearly constant cusp/cleft ion fluxes were observed. The data are consistent with temporal variations in the reconnection rate. At the time of the near conjugate observations the data suggest that solar wind plasma entered the magnetosphere over an extended region of the magnetopause, i.e. not in small discontinuous patches.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Simultaneous observations of solar wind plasma entry from FAST and POLAR
Creators: W. K Peterson - Lockheed Martin 3251 Hanover St., Palo Alto, CA
Y.-K Tung - University of California, Berkeley
C. W Carlson - University of California, Berkeley
J. H Clemmons - The Aerospace Corporation
H. L Collin - Lockheed Martin 3251 Hanover St., Palo Alto, CA
R. E Ergun - University of California, Berkeley
S. A Fuselier - Lockheed Martin (United States)
C. A Kletzing - University of Iowa
D. M Klumpar - Lockheed Martin 3251 Hanover St., Palo Alto, CA
O. W Lennartsson - Lockheed Martin 3251 Hanover St., Palo Alto, CA
R. P Lepping - Goddard Space Flight Center
N. C Maynard - Mission Research Crop, Nashua, NH
J. P McFadden - University of California, Berkeley
T. G Onsager - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
W. J Peria - University of California, Berkeley
C. T Russell - University of California, Los Angeles
E. G Shelley - Lockheed Martin 3251 Hanover St., Palo Alto, CA
L Tang - University of New Hampshire
J Wygant - University of Minnesota
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.25(12), pp.2081-2084
DOI: 10.1029/98GL00668
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Number of pages: 4
Language: English
Date published: 06/15/1998
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984199853702771

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