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…
Recent in-situ observations of magnetic reconnection in near-Earth space
Paschmann, Götz
The paper presents a brief review of recent in-situ observations of reconnection in space, with emphasis on results pertaining to the question of anti-parallel versus component reconnection, the implied spatial and temporal scales, the location of the reconnection sites, particle acceleration, reconnection rates, the dependence on plasma β, and th…
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 …
The plasma sheet and boundary layers under northward IMF: A multi-point and multi-instrument perspective
Escoubet, C. P.; Pitout, F.; Zhang, T. L. +23 more
During conditions of northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), the near-tail plasma sheet is known to become denser and cooler, and is described as the cold-dense plasma sheet (CDPS). While its source is likely the solar wind, the prominent penetration mechanisms are less clear. The two main candidates are solar wind direct capture via double…
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…
Observation of three distinct ion populations at the Kelvin-Helmholtz-unstable magnetopause
Lavraud, B.; Taylor, M. G. G. T.
We report Double Star spacecraft observations of the dusk-flank magnetopause and its boundary layer under predominantly northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Under such conditions the flank low-latitude boundary layers (LLBL) of the magnetosphere are known to broaden. The primary candidate processes associated with the transport of solar …
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 …