Simultaneous Measurements of Polar and Cluster In The Dayside Cusp
Abstract
During those periods when the Polar satellite has had its apogee on the dayside the CAMMICE MICS sensor has observed extended regions of shocked solar wind plasma well inside the magnetosphere. Polar is observed to remain in these regions for periods ranging up to seven hours at a time, implying sizes that are up to six Earth radii in extent. Large diamagnetic cavities and very energetic particles accompany the solar wind plasma in these regions. Traditionally such a region would be called the cusp but these regions do not conform to the narrow funnel-shaped region normally associated with the cusp. With the passage of the four Cluster satellites through the dayside magnetosphere in the April 2001 it has been possible to find cases where both Polar and the four Cluster satellites are simultaneously in the "cusp" but yet separated by more than an hour in local time and many Earth radii in distance. We will examine two such periods occurring on April 5/6 and April 20/21, 2001.
- Publication:
-
EGS General Assembly Conference Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- 2002
- Bibcode:
- 2002EGSGA..27.5111F