Search Publications
Wave-particle interactions in the equatorial source region of whistler-mode emissions
Gurnett, D. A.; Pickett, J. S.; Santolík, O. +8 more
Wave-particle interactions can play a key role in the process of transfer of energy between different electron populations in the outer Van Allen radiation belt. We present a case study of wave-particle interactions in the equatorial source region of whistler-mode emissions. We select measurements of the Cluster spacecraft when these emissions are…
Limitations of multispacecraft data techniques in measuring wave number spectra of space plasma turbulence
Belmont, G.; Sahraoui, F.; Rezeau, L. +1 more
Unambiguous determination of spatial properties of space plasma turbulence from temporal measurements has been one of the major goals of the Cluster mission. For that purpose, techniques, such as the k filtering, have been developed. Such multipoint measurement techniques combine several time series recorded simultaneously at different points in s…
Pitch angle transport of electrons due to cyclotron interactions with the coherent chorus subelements
Lakhina, G. S.; Tsurutani, B. T.; Verkhoglyadova, O. P. +1 more
Chorus is a right-hand, circularly-polarized electromagnetic plane wave. Dayside chorus is a bursty emission composed of rising frequency “elements” with duration of ∼0.1 to 1.0 s. Each element is composed of coherent subelements with durations of ∼1 to 100 ms or more. Due to the coherent nature of the chorus subelements/wave packets, energetic el…
Observations of the relationship between frequency sweep rates of chorus wave packets and plasma density
Gurnett, D. A.; Pickett, J. S.; Demekhov, A. G. +8 more
Chorus emissions are generated by a nonlinear mechanism involving wave-particle interactions with energetic electrons. Discrete chorus wave packets are narrowband tones usually rising (sometimes falling) in frequency. We investigate frequency sweep rates of chorus wave packets measured by the Wideband data (WBD) instrument onboard the Cluster spac…
Magnetopause oscillations near the planetary period at Saturn: Occurrence, phase, and amplitude
Coates, A. J.; Andrews, D. J.; Cowley, S. W. H. +2 more
Using magnetic field and plasma electron data from ∼40 Cassini orbits that crossed Saturn's magnetopause during 2004-2007, we make a first systematic study of the magnetopause oscillations that are related to the oscillations in the magnetic field and plasma inside the magnetosphere near the ∼11 h planetary rotation period, here termed the magneto…
THEMIS observations of substorms on 26 February 2008 initiated by magnetotail reconnection
Russell, C. T.; Wei, Y.; Glassmeier, K. -H. +25 more
On 26 February 2008, the THEMIS satellites observed two substorms that occurred at about 0405 and 0455 UT. Angelopoulos et al. (2008) made a comprehensive study of the second event. In this paper we display detailed features of the two substorms with emphasis on the first. In both substorms, a distinct auroral intensification occurred during the e…
Statistical study of the quasi-perpendicular shock ramp widths
Krasnoselskikh, V.; Gedalin, M.; Hobara, Y. +2 more
The width of the collisionless shock front is one of the key shock parameters. The width of the main shock transition layer is related to the nature of the collisionless process that balances nonlinearity and therefore leads to the formation of the shock itself. The shock width determines how the incoming plasma particles interact with the macrosc…
Rate of radial transport of plasma in Saturn's inner magnetosphere
Wilson, R. J.; Chen, Y.; Hill, T. W. +1 more
In the inner part of a rapidly rotating magnetosphere such as that of Saturn, the major observable signature of radial plasma convection is a series of longitudinally localized injections and simultaneous drift dispersions of hot tenuous plasma from the outer magnetosphere. The Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) and the Cassini Magnetospheric Imag…
Wave properties in the magnetic reconnection diffusion region with high β: Application of the k-filtering method to Cluster multispacecraft data
Sahraoui, F.; Deng, X. H.; Wang, J. F. +6 more
Magnetic reconnection is a crucial physical process in laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. Plasma waves are believed to provide the dissipation mechanism in magnetic reconnection. In this paper we analyze the properties of low-frequency waves in a magnetotail reconnection diffusion region with a small guide field and high β. Using the k-filterin…
Magnetosonic Mach number effect of the position of the bow shock at Mars in comparison to Venus
Barabash, S.; Fränz, M.; Lester, M. +3 more
We study the effect of the magnetosonic Mach number on the position of the bow shock (BS) at Mars. The magnetosonic Mach number is calculated from solar wind data obtained by the ACE satellite upstream of Earth and extrapolated to Mars during two intervals, starting in 2005 and 2007, when Mars and Earth were close to opposition. An increased Mach …