Quiet-time convection electric field properties derived from keV electron measurements at the inner edge of the plasma sheet by means of GEOS-2

From an analysis of the local time distribution of the electron upper energy limit reached by the geostationary satellite GEOS-2 in cutting through the innermost part of the electron plasma sheet during fairly quiet conditions the following results have been obtained, among others. An electric field model given by $\text{E}\text{= ?▽{AR}{}^4\text{sin}\text{(φ+}\text{π}\text{4}\text{)}}$, with the dusk singular point of the forbidden region boundary at 1500, instead of at 1800 M.L.T., is in quite good agreement with the observations. This means that effects due to the shielding by the hot plasma of the inner magnetosphere from the convection electric field are quite strong in situations of low disturbance level. The quiet-time convection electric field strength at 2100 M.L.T. in the geostationary orbit obtained from this analysis varies in the range 0.15–0.3 kV/R_e. Six hours earlier or later in the satellite orbit the convection field is four times stronger. Also when the convection field varies, some information about its magnitude can be obtained from the keV electron measurements.