Multi-satellite observations of plasmoids - IMP 8 and ISEE 3

An examination of IMP 8 and ISEE 3 magnetotail data during the 1983 Geotail Mission yielded one plasmoid event which was observed by both satellites and two other possible cases. These are the first multisatellite observations of plasoids. These observations provide a unique opportunity to examine how plasmoid characteristics change as plasmoids propagate downtail and they show that plasmoids are very stable structures.