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Relationships between field-aligned currents, electric fields, and particle precipitation as observed by Dynamics Explorer-2The relationships between field-aligned currents, electric fields, and particle fluxes are determined using observations from the polar orbiting low-altitude satellite Dynamics Explorer-2. It is shown that the north-south electric field and the east-west magnetic field components are usually highly correlated in the field-aligned current regions. This proportionality observationally proves that the field-aligned current equals the divergence of the height-integrated ionospheric Pedersen current in the meridional plane to a high degree of approximation. As a general rule, in the evening sector the upward field-aligned currents flow in the boundary plasma sheet region and the downward currents flow in the central plasma sheet region. The current densities determined independently from the plasma and magnetic field measurements are compared. Although the current densities deduced from the two methods are in general agreement, the degree and extent of the agreement vary in individual cases.
Document ID
19840062974
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Sugiura, M.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Iyemori, T.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Hoffman, R. A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Maynard, N. C.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Burch, J. L.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Winningham, J. D.
(Southwest Research Institute San Antonio, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1984
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
84A45761
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS5-26363
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS5-2693
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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