Search Publications
Occurrence of reconnection jets at the dayside magnetopause: Double Star observations
RèMe, H.; Cao, J. B.; Carr, C. M. +7 more
We present a statistical study on reconnection occurrence at the dayside magnetopause performed using the Double Star TC1 plasma and magnetic field data. We examined the magnetopause crossings that occurred during the first year of the mission in the 0600-1800 LT interval and we identified plasma flows, at the magnetopause or in the boundary layer…
Characteristics of middle- to low-latitude Pi2 excited by bursty bulk flows
Zong, Qiugang; Lucek, E.; Zhang, Tielong +13 more
This paper, by using the data of Cluster, TC-1, GOES, and eight ground stations on 22 October 2004, studied the characteristics of low-latitude Pi2s generated by an earthward bursty bulk flow (BBF) in the near-Earth tail plasma sheet. The BBF excited simultaneously two distinct classes of Pi2s: one is long-period Pi2 (90-130 s) and the other is sh…
Study of near-Earth reconnection events with Cluster and Double Star
Sauvaud, J. -A.; Zhang, T. L.; Lucek, E. +12 more
Observations made by a unique constellation of Cluster (at 14-16 RE), TC2, Goes10, and LANL spacecraft (near 6.6 RE) have allowed us to study the details of three reconnection events in the middle of a thick plasma sheet with the reconnection X-line located unusually close to Earth (10-12 RE). We use mapping along …
Response of the inner magnetosphere and the plasma sheet to a sudden impulse
Zhang, T. L.; Dandouras, I.; RèMe, H. +11 more
The passage of an interplanetary shock caused a sudden compression of the magnetosphere between 0900 UT and 0915 UT on 24 August 2005. An estimate of the shock normal from solar wind data obtained by Geotail upstream of the bow shock indicates symmetric compression with respect to the noon-midnight meridian. Compression-related disturbances of the…
Formation of the low-latitude boundary layer and cusp under the northward IMF: Simultaneous observations by Cluster and Double Star
Dandouras, I.; Davies, J. A.; Wild, J. A. +9 more
On 28 February 2004 the configuration of the Cluster and Double Star TC1 satellites facilitated a simultaneous study of plasma properties inside the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL) near the subsolar magnetopause and inside the midaltitude cusp during an interval with strong northward IMF. TC1, crossing the dayside magnetopause, observed a compl…
Near-Earth substorm features from multiple satellite observations
Zhang, T. L.; RèMe, H.; Fazakerley, A. N. +12 more
We investigate a substorm on 3 October 2004 during which 11 satellites were located in near-Earth magnetotail (XGSM > -10 RE). Double Star 1 (TC-1), Cluster, and LANL-97 satellites were closely aligned in the dawn-dusk direction (<1 RE apart) for this conjunction. After substorm expansion onset, TC-1 observed…
Multispacecraft and ground-based observations of substorm timing and activations: Two case studies
Escoubet, C. P.; Dandouras, I.; Zhang, H. +23 more
Two case studies are performed to investigate substorm timing and activations based on Double Star TC1, Cluster, Polar, IMAGE, LANL geostationary satellites and ground-based geomagnetic field measurements. In both events, an earthward flow associated with plasma sheet thinning is measured by Cluster 8-10 min ahead of the auroral breakup. A couple …
Ionospheric oxygen ions dominant bursty bulk flows: Cluster and Double Star observations
Zhang, H.; Zong, Q. -G.; Daly, P. W. +5 more
Two extreme oxygen-rich bursty bulk flows (BBFs) with predominant ionospheric O+ ions have been observed on 8 November 2004 by the Cluster and Double Star spacecraft during a strong magnetic storm time period with Dst = -373 nT. The oxygen densities in two BBFs are found to be 3-5 times larger than the hydrogen densities and the oxygen …
Reconnection at the dayside magnetopause: Comparisons of global MHD simulation results with Cluster and Double Star observations
Berchem, J.; Escoubet, C. P.; Balogh, A. +8 more
This study uses two conjunctions between Cluster and Double Star TC-1 spacecraft together with global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations to investigate the large-scale configuration of magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause. Both events involve southward interplanetary magnetic fields with significant By components. The fi…
Magnetotail dipolarization and associated current systems observed by Cluster and Double Star
Zhang, T. L.; RèMe, H.; Fazakerley, A. N. +22 more
A dipolarization and its associated current systems are studied using Cluster, Double Star TC1, and ground-based observations. The Cluster spacecraft are located approximately 16 RE downtail near 0030 LT. The Double Star TC1 spacecraft is located more earthward at approximately 7 RE just before local midnight. Auroral observa…