Properties of current sheet thinning at x ∼- 10 to -12 R_E

Abstract

We report on Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) observations of current sheet thinning in Earth's magnetotail at around x =- 10 to -12 Earth radii. The THEMIS spacecraft configuration in October-December 2015 allows us to construct both gradients that contribute to the cross-tail current density jy=μ0-1(∂Bx/∂z-∂Bz/∂x) (GSM coordinates). For 17 events when the spacecraft observed a gradual B_z decrease and j_y increase, we find the following average scaling relations: for the current density jy∼Bz-7/4, for the lobe magnetic field BL∼Bz-1/4, and for the plasma density ni∼Bz-3/4. We show that the temperature of ions and electrons decreases and the plasma pressure gradient ∂p/∂x rapidly increases during current sheet thinning. The scale Lx=(∂lnp/∂x)-1 decreases a few thousand kilometers. We also consider current carriers in thinning current sheets: both ion and electron current-dominated current sheets, preferentially located near dusk and midnight, respectively, are found.