 |
Detailed Reference Information |
Gosling, J.T., Thomsen, M.F., Bame, S.J., Elphic, R.C. and Russell, C.T. (1991). Observations of reconnection of interplanetary and lobe magnetic field lines at the high-latitude magnetopause. Journal of Geophysical Research 96: doi: 10.1029/91JA01139. issn: 0148-0227. |
|
Measurements made with the Fast Plasma Experiment on ISEE 2 in the vicinity of the high-latitude, dusk magnetopause near the terminator plane, at a time when the local magnetosheath and tail lobe magnetic field were nearly oppositely directed, provide direct evidence for the reconnection of the open field lines of the tail lobes with the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The evidence consists primarily of observations of accelerated magnetosheath plasma flowing both tailward and sunward within the high-latitude magnetopause current layer. Observed speed changes at the magnetopause were of the order of twice the magnetosheath Alfven speed and were quantitatively consistent with the predictions of reconnection models. At times when the newly entering magnetosheath plasma observed at ISEE 2 was accelerated sunward a secondary beam of ions, presumably mirrored at low altitudes, was occasionally present. At times when the newly entering magnetosheath plasma observed by ISEE 2 was acclerated tailward a secondary beam of largely unaccelerated mantle plasma was occassionally present. Small plasma accelerations observed on reconnected field lines in the magnetosheath were associated with the presence of ions reflected at the magnetopause and moving at a speed of approximately twice the Alfven speed relative to the remainder of the magnetosheath plasma. Although previous work has anticipated that the re-reconnection of the open field line of the tail lobes with the IMF would be assoicated with northward IMF in the magnetosheath, the present reconnection event was associated with a local magnetosheath IMF which had a small southward component. ¿American Geophysical Union 1991 |
|
 |
 |
BACKGROUND DATA FILES |
|
 |
Abstract |
|
 |
|
|
|
Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetopause, cusp, and boundary layers, Magnetospheric Physics, Plasma convection, Magnetospheric Physics, Polar cap phenomena, Space Plasma Physics, Magnetic reconnection |
|
Publisher
American Geophysical Union 2000 Florida Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009-1277 USA 1-202-462-6900 1-202-328-0566 service@agu.org |
|
|
 |