Search Publications
Spacecraft potential control for Double Star
Escoubet, C. P.; Baumjohann, W.; Zhao, H. +12 more
The spacecraft potential of Double Star TC-1 is positive in large parts of the orbits due to the photo-effect from solar EUV irradiation. These positive potentials typically disturb low energy plasma measurements on board. The potential can be reduced, and thereby the particle measurements improved, by emitting a positive ion beam. This method has…
A statistical study on the correlations between plasma sheet and solar wind based on DSP explorations
Zhang, T. L.; Rème, H.; Liu, Z. X. +3 more
By using the data of two spacecraft, TC-1 and ACE (Advanced Composition Explorer), a statistical study on the correlations between plasma sheet and solar wind has been carried out. The results obtained show that the plasma sheet at geocentric distances of about 9~13.4 Re has an apparent driving relationship with the solar wind. It is found that (1…
Double Star project - master science operations plan
Liu, Z.; Shen, C.
For Double Star Project (DSP) exploration, the scientific operations are very important and essential for achieving its scientific objectives. Two years before the launch of the DSP satellites (TC-1 and TC-2) and during the mission operating phase, the long-term and short-term master science operations plans (MSOP) were produced. MSOP is composed …
Simultaneous Double Star and Cluster FTEs observations on the dawnside flank of the magnetosphere
Balogh, A.; Fazakerley, A. N.; Owen, C. J. +8 more
We present Cluster and Double Star-1 (TC-1) observations from a close magnetic conjunction on 8 May 2004. The five spacecraft were on the dawnside flank of the magnetosphere, with TC-1 located near the equatorial plane and Cluster at higher geographic latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere. TC-1, at its apogee, skimmed the magnetopause for almost 8h…
Observations of lion roars in the magnetosheath by the STAFF/DWP experiment on the Double Star TC-1 spacecraft
Walker, S. N.; Yearby, K. H.; Santolik, O. +5 more
Lion roars are intense, short duration packets of whistler mode waves, observed in the magnetosheath. They are typically seen coincident with the magnetic field minima of mirror mode waves. The orbit of the Double Star TC-1 spacecraft (570 km by 78970 km, inclination at 28.5 degrees) is ideal for observations of lion roars as the spacecraft is in …
Cluster observations and theoretical identification of broadband waves in the auroral region
André, M.; Stenberg, G.; Rème, H. +7 more
Broadband waves are common on auroral field lines. We use two different methods to study the polarization of the waves at 10 to 180 Hz observed by the Cluster spacecraft at altitudes of about 4 Earth radii in the nightside auroral region. Observations of electric and magnetic wave fields, together with electron and ion data, are used as input to t…
Pseudo-field line resonances in ground Pc5 pulsation events
Sarafopoulos, D. V.
In this work we study four representative cases of Pc5 ground pulsation events with discrete and remarkably stable frequencies extended at least in a high-latitude range of ~20°; a feature that erroneously gives the impression for an oscillation mode with "one resonant field line". Additionally, the presented events show characteristic changes in …
Magnetospheric plasma boundaries: a test of the frozen-in magnetic field theorem
Lundin, R.; Yamauchi, M.; Sauvaud, J. -A. +1 more
The notion of frozen-in magnetic field originates from H. Alfvén, the result of a work on electromagnetic-hydrodynamic waves published in 1942. After that, the notion of frozen-in magnetic field, or ideal MHD, has become widely used in space plasma physics. The controversy on the applicability of ideal MHD started in the late 1950s and has continu…
Cluster magnetotail observations of a tailward-travelling plasmoid at substorm expansion phase onset and field aligned currents in the plasma sheet boundary layer
Davies, J. A.; Wild, J. A.; Fazakerley, A. N. +15 more
We present data from both ground- and space-based instruments for a substorm event which occurred on 5 October 2002, with an expansion phase onset time of 02:50 UT determined from the ground magnetometer data. During this substorm, the Cluster spacecraft were located around 15 RE downtail, 8 RE from midnight in the pre-midnig…
Large-scale velocity fluctuations in polar solar wind
Bavassano, B.; Bruno, R.; D'Amicis, R.
The 3-D structure of the solar wind varies dramatically along the Sun's activity cycle. In the present paper we focus on some properties of the polar solar wind. This is a fast, teneous, and steady flow (as compared to low-latitude conditions) that fills the high-latitude heliosphere at low solar activity. The polar wind has been extensively inves…