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Detailed Reference Information |
Manapat, M., Ă˜ieroset, M., Phan, T.D., Lin, R.P. and Fujimoto, M. (2006). Field-aligned electrons at the lobe/plasma sheet boundary in the mid-to-distant magnetotail and their association with reconnection. Geophysical Research Letters 33: doi: 10.1029/2005GL024971. issn: 0094-8276. |
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We have surveyed field-aligned electrons at the lobe/plasma sheet boundary and their association with reconnection in the distant magnetotail where reconnection is quasi-steady and large scale. Asymmetric (in energy) counterstreaming electrons are detected in ~30% of the boundary crossings when high-speed flows are present in the plasma sheet. In 98% of the electron beam cases the low-energy electrons are directed toward and the higher-energy electrons directed away from the X-line. The well-organized (by the signs of Bx and Vx) quadrupolar pattern of the electrons indicates that these electrons are associated with reconnection. The low-energy electrons could be the outer part of the Hall current loop, similar to previous reports in the near-Earth region. The mean electron energy in the distant tail is a factor of ten lower than in the near-Earth tail. Our observations suggest that the Hall effect can be detected even at large distances from the diffusion region. |
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Abstract |
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Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetotail, Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetotail boundary layers, Space Plasma Physics, Magnetic reconnection (2723, 7526) |
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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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