IMF By influence on average slow earthward and tailward perpendicular ion flows in the magnetotail plasma sheet
Abstract
We use Geotail, Cluster and THEMIS data from 1995-2009 to statistically investigate slow convective ion flows (Vperp$ _{xy}$ < 200 km/s) in the magnetotail plasma sheet under the influence of clearly nonzero dawn-dusk interplanetary magnetic field (IMF B$ _{y}$). We find that IMF B$ _{y}$ causes an interhemispheric asymmetry in the flows, which depends on the direction of IMF B$ _{y}$. On the average, one magnetic hemisphere is dominated by a dawn-dusk flow component, which is oppositely directed compared to that in the other hemisphere. This asymmetry is observed both earthward and tailward flows. A comparison to tail B$ _{y}$ reveals that the region where the asymmetry in the average flows appears agrees with the appearance of the tail B$ _{y}$ direction collinear to the IMF B$ _{y}$. The results imply that IMF B$ _{y}$ has a major influence on the direction of the magnetic flux transport in the magnetotail.
- Publication:
-
43rd COSPAR Scientific Assembly. Held 28 January - 4 February
- Pub Date:
- January 2021
- Bibcode:
- 2021cosp...43E1175P