Interball Observations of Flux Transfer Events

We present the results of a statistical study of 870 flux transfer events (FTEs) observed by the Interball-1 spacecraft. Events at low-latitudes show a marked tendency to occur for southward IMF orientations, while those at cusp latitudes occur for both northward and southward IMF orientations. Events at high latitudes tend to occur for either strongly parallel or antiparallel magnetosheath and magnetospheric magnetic field orientations, suggesting origins via antiparallel reconnection at latitudes above and below the cusp. Almost all events move antisunward. Average event amplitudes diminish with distance from the subsolar point, primarily due to the presence of many small amplitude events on the magnetotail flanks. Initial results suggest that event sequences combining direct and reverse signatures tend to occur in the vicinity of the predicted reconnection line. Prolonged sequences of multiple events are common in the observations- we will examine the conditions favoring these events.