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Detailed Reference Information |
Santolík, O., Persoon, A.M., Gurnett, D.A., Décréau, P.M.E., Pickett, J.S., Maršálek, O., Maksimovic, M. and Cornilleau-Wehrlin, N. (2005). Drifting field-aligned density structures in the night-side polar cap. Geophysical Research Letters 32: doi: 10.1029/2004GL021696. issn: 0094-8276. |
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Spatio-temporal properties of density irregularities in the night-side polar cap are inferred from multi-point observations of auroral hiss at a radial distance of 5 Earth radii. In this case study, we use high resolution data of the wave instruments onboard the four Cluster spacecraft to estimate the local plasma density, obtaining values close to 1 cm-3 with density depletions decreasing down to 0.15 cm-3. Combined analysis in different points in space conclusively shows for the first time that these density structures are field-aligned and that they predominantly drift in the anti-sunward direction at speeds of a few km/s. This corresponds to a dawn-to-dusk convection electric field of approximately 1 mV/m. The transverse dimension of the observed density depletions, mapped down to the ionospheric heights, is of the order of a few tens of km. Their lifetime is probably longer than tens of seconds. |
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Abstract |
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Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetospheric configuration and dynamics, Magnetospheric Physics, Plasma convection, Magnetospheric Physics, Plasma waves and instabilities, Magnetospheric Physics, Polar cap phenomena, Radio Science, Magnetospheric physics |
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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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