Multiple Flux Rope Events at the High-Latitude Magnetopause: Cluster/Rapid Observation on 26 January, 2001 |
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Authors: | Z. Y. Pu Q. -G. Zong T. A. Fritz C. J. Xiao Z. Y. Huang S. Y. Fu Q. Q. Shi M. W. Dunlop K. -H. Glassmeier A. Balogh P. Daly H. Reme J. Dandouras J. B. Cao Z. X. Liu C. Shen J. K. Shi |
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Affiliation: | (1) School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China;(2) Center for Space Physics, Boston University, 02215 Boston, MA, USA;(3) Space Sciences Division, Rutherford Appleton laboratory, OX11 0QX Chilton, DIDCOT, Oxfordshire, UK;(4) Institut für Geophysik und Meteorologie, TU Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstr. 3, Braunschweig, 38106, Germany;(5) Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2BZ, UK;(6) Max-Planck-Institut für Aeronomie, Max-Planck-Str. 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany;(7) CESR, BP 4346, 31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France;(8) Center for Space Science and application Research, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100080, China |
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Abstract: | Cluster measurements of the cusp and high latitude magnetopause boundary on 26 January, 2001 confirm that the cusp is a dynamic region full of energetic charged particles and turbulence. An energetic ion layer at high-latitudes beyond and adjacent to the duskside magnetopause exists when the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) has a southward orientation. Multiple energetic ion flux bursts were observed in the energetic ion layer. Each energetic ion flux burst was closely related to a magnetic flux rope. The axes of the flux ropes lie in the direction pointing duskward/tailward and somewhat upward. An intense axis-aligned current flows inside the ropes, with the current density reaching ∼10−8 A/m2. The main components of the energetic ions are protons, helium and CNO ions, which originate from the magnetosphere, flowing out into the magnetosheath along the axis of the flux ropes. The velocity of the magnetosheath thermal plasma relative to the deHoffman-Teller (DHT) frame is found to be basically along the axis of the flux ropes also, but towards the magnetosphere. These flux ropes seem to be produced somewhere away via magnetic reconnection and move at similar DHT velocities passing over the spacecraft. These observations further confirm that the high-latitude magnetopause boundary region plays an important role in the solar wind-magnetopause coupling. |
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Keywords: | cusp energetic particle flux flux transfer events high-latitude magnetopause boundary layer magnetic flux rope magnetic reconnection magnetopause magnetosheath boundary layer |
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