Density structures inside the plasmasphere: Cluster observations

0109621 - UFA-U 20040069 RIV DE eng J - Journal Article
Darrouzet, F. - Décréau, P. M. E. - Keyser de, J. - Masson, A. - Gallagher, D. L. - Santolík, Ondřej - Sandel, B. R. - Trotignon, J. G. - Rauch, J. L. - Guirriec Le, E. - Canu, P. - Sedgemore, F. - André, M. - Lemaire, J. F.
Density structures inside the plasmasphere: Cluster observations.
[Hustotní struktury uvnitř plazmopauzy: pozorování družic Cluster.]
Annales Geophysicae. Roč. 22, č. 7 (2004), s. 2577-2585. ISSN 0992-7689. E-ISSN 1432-0576
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT ME 650; GA ČR GA202/03/0832
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z3042911
Keywords : Magnetospheric physics (plasmasphere) Ä Space plasma physics (general or miscellaneous)
Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics
Impact factor: 1.610, year: 2004

The electron density profiles derived from the EFW and WHISPER instruments on board the four Cluster spacecraft reveal density structures inside the plasmasphere and at its outer boundary, the plasmapause. We have conducted a statistical study to characterize these density structures. We focus on the plasmasphere crossing on 11 April 2002, during which Cluster observed several density irregularities inside the plasmasphere, as well as a plasmaspheric plume. We derive the density gradient vectors from simultaneous density measurements by the four spacecraft. We also determine the normal velocity of the boundaries of the plume and of the irregularities from the time delays between those boundaries in the four individual density profiles, assumingthey are planar. These new observations yield novel insights about the occurrence of density irregularities, their geometry and their dynamics. These in-situ measurements are compared with global images of the plasmasphere from the EUV imager on board the IMAGE satellite

Pozorujeme hustotní struktury uvnitř plazmopauzy s určením jejich normálové rychlosti.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0016730