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Magnetic islands in the near geomagnetic tail and its implications for the mechanism of 1054 UT CDAW 6 substormDuring the 1054 UT CDAW 6 substorm event, two ISEE spacecraft observed dynamic changes in the magnetic field and in the flux of energetic particles in the near-earth plasma sheet. In the substorm growth phase, the magnetic field at both ISEE spacecraft became tail-like. Following expansion phase onset, two small scale magnetic islands were observed moving tailward at a velocity of about 580 km/s. The passage of these two magnetic islands was coincident with bursts of tailward streaming energetic particles. The length of the magnetic loops was estimated to have been about 2 to 3 earth radii while the height of the loops was less than 0.5 earth radii. The magnetic islands were produced by multipoint reconnection processes in the near tail plasma sheet which may have been associated with the formation of the near-earth neutral line and the subsequent formation of a large scale plasmoid. The near-earth neutral line retreated tailward later in the expansion phase, as suggested by the reversal of the streaming of energetic particles.
Document ID
19920048656
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Lin, N.
(NASA Headquarters Washington, DC United States)
Walker, R. J.
(NASA Headquarters Washington, DC United States)
Mcpherron, R. L.
(NASA Headquarters Washington, DC United States)
Kivelson, M. G.
(California, University Los Angeles, United States)
Date Acquired
August 15, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1990
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
92A31280
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NGL-05-007-004
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF ATM-83-18200
CONTRACT_GRANT: N00014-85-K-0556
CONTRACT_GRANT: JPL-955232
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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