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NASA NTRS1996

Interball substorm observations: Christmas for space scientists

Observational results from the Interball Tail Probe spacecraft are presented. One of the main objectives of the Interball project is to study the dynamic processes in the magnetosphere. Three events observed by the spacecraft's instruments are investigated: a pseudobreakup during which earthward streaming ions were observed in the vicinity of a thin current sheet; a substorm in which the magnetic signatures in the lobe and on the ground were preceeded by northward re-orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field Bz component; and a magnetic storm at the beginning of which extreme deformation of the magnetotail was observed.

Sandahl, Ingrid↗

NASA NTRS1996

Estimates of magnetic flux, and energy balance in the plasma sheet during substorm expansion

The energy and magnetic flux budgets of the magnetotail plasma sheet during substorm expansion are investigated. The possible mechanisms that change the energy content of the closed field line region which contains all the major dissipation mechanisms of relevance during substorms, are considered. The compression of the plasma sheet mechanism and the diffusion mechanism are considered and excluded. It is concluded that the magnetic reconnection mechanism can accomplish the required transport. Data-based empirical magnetic field models are used to investigate the magnetic flux transport required to account for the observed magnetic field dipolarizations in the inner magnetosphere. It is found that the magnetic flux permeating the current sheet is typically insufficient to supply the required magnetic flux. It is concluded that no major substorm-type magnetospheric reconfiguration is possible in the absence of magnetic reconnection.

Hesse, Michael↗