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Detailed Reference Information |
Sonnerup, B.U.Ö., Hasegawa, H. and Paschmann, G. (2004). Anatomy of a flux transfer event seen by Cluster. Geophysical Research Letters 31: doi: 10.1029/2004GL020134. issn: 0094-8276. |
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Data from Cluster are used to study the structure of a flux transfer event (FTE), seen near the northern cusp. We employ Grad-Shafranov reconstruction, using measured fields from all four spacecraft to produce a map of the FTE cross section. The FTE consists of a flux rope of approximate size 1RE and irregular shape, embedded in the magnetopause. Its axis $hat{bf{z}}$ is tangential to the magnetopause. Since no reconnection signatures are seen, the map provides a fossil record of the prior reconnection process that created the flux rope: the strong core field indicates that it was generated by component merging. An average reconnection electric field ≥0.18 mV/m must have occurred in the burst of reconnection that created the FTE. The total axial ($hat{bf{z}}$) current and magnetic flux in the FTE were -0.66 MAmp and +2.07 MWeber, respectively. |
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Abstract |
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Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetopause, cusp, and boundary layers, Magnetospheric Physics, Solar wind/magnetosphere interactions, Space Plasma Physics, Magnetic reconnection |
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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 |
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