Tail Reconnection Triggering Substorm Onset
Goddard Space Flight Center · University of Calgary · +3 more institutions
Abstract
Magnetospheric substorms explosively release solar wind energy previously stored in Earth's magnetotail, encompassing the entire magnetosphere and producing spectacular auroral displays. It has been unclear whether a substorm is triggered by a disruption of the electrical current flowing across the near-Earth magnetotail, at approximately 10 R(E) (R(E): Earth radius, or 6374 kilometers), or by the process of magnetic reconnection typically seen farther out in the magnetotail, at approximately 20 to 30 R(E). We report on simultaneous measurements in the magnetotail at multiple distances, at the time of substorm onset. Reconnection was observed at 20 R(E), at least 1.5 minutes before auroral intensification, at…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 27.41
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 25
Authors
17- VAV. AngelopoulosCorresponding
Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Calgary, Institute of Geophysics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, University of California, Berkeley
- JPJ. P. McFadden
Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Calgary, Institute of Geophysics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, University of California, Berkeley
- DED. E. Larson
Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Calgary, Institute of Geophysics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, University of California, Berkeley
- CWC. W. Carlson
Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Calgary, Institute of Geophysics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, University of California, Berkeley
- SBS. B. Mende
Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Calgary, Institute of Geophysics, Technische Universität Braunschweig, University of California, Berkeley
Topics & keywords
- Substorm
- Magnetosphere
- Magnetic reconnection
- Physics
- Geophysics
- Solar wind
- Earth radius
- RADIUS
- Affordable and clean energy