Advances in Plasmaspheric Wave Research with CLUSTER and IMAGE Observations

Carpenter, Donald L.; Darrouzet, Fabien; Grimald, Sandrine; Moldwin, Mark B.; Masson, Arnaud; Němec, František; Santolík, Ondrej; Décréau, Pierrette M. E.; El-Lemdani Mazouz, Farida; Green, James L.; Sonwalkar, Vikas S.

Netherlands, Czech Republic, United States, Belgium, France, United Kingdom

Abstract

This paper highlights significant advances in plasmaspheric wave research with Cluster and Image observations. This leap forward was made possible thanks to the new observational capabilities of these space missions. On one hand, the multipoint view of the four Cluster satellites, a unique capability, has enabled the estimation of wave characteristics impossible to derive from single spacecraft measurements. On the other hand, the Image experiments have enabled to relate large-scale plasmaspheric density structures with wave observations and provide radio soundings of the plasmasphere with unprecedented details. After a brief introduction on Cluster and Image wave instrumentation, a series of sections, each dedicated to a specific type of plasmaspheric wave, put into context the recent advances obtained by these two revolutionary missions.

2009 Space Science Reviews
Cluster 7