Magnetic field variations of the SI in the magnetosphere and correlated effects in interplanetary space

Explorer 26 magnetic field data in the magnetospheric region of L=3?6 and LT 1100–1500 hr with geomagnetic latitude range ?6° to 27° have been analyzed for studying nineteen SI and SC events. Most of the SI events observed in the magnetosphere at less than 15° geomagnetic latitude are compressional with magnetic perturbations along the ambient field. Elliptic polarizations with magnetic field variations in all three components have been observed between 10° and 27° geomagnetic latitude. Polarization directions have been shown to have similar patterns to those observed in the surface magnetic field data. Afternoon LT zone data in the magnetosphere indicate polarization patterns in general agreement with the results of Wilson and Sugiura (1961) obtained earlier from surface observations. The SI/SC perturbations are also qualitatively shown to be related to changes in the interplanetary magnetic field observed beyond 1 a.u.