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Global and local current sheet thickness estimates during the late growth phaseThe thinning and intensification of the cross tail current sheet during the substorm growth phase are analyzed during the CDAW 6 substorm (22 Mar. 1979) using two complementary methods. The magnetic field and current sheet development are determined using data from two spacecraft and a global magnetic field model with several free parameters. These results are compared with the local calculation of the current sheet location and structure previously done by McPherron et al. Both methods lead to the conclusion that an extremely thin current sheet existed prior to the substorm onset, and the thicknesses estimated by the two methods at substorm onset agree relatively well. The plasma data from the ISEE 1 spacecraft at 13 R(sub E) show an anisotropy in the low energy electrons during the growth phase which disappears just before the substorm onset. The global magnetic model results suggest that the field is sufficiently stretched to scatter such low energy electrons. The strong stretching may improve the conditions for the growth of the ion tearing instability in the near Earth tail at substorm onset.
Document ID
19950011825
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Pulkkinen, T. I.
(Finnish Meteorological Inst. Helsinki, Finland)
Baker, D. N.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Mitchell, D. G.
(Johns Hopkins Univ. Laurel, MD., United States)
Mcpherron, Robert L.
(California Univ. Los Angeles, CA., United States)
Huang, C. Y.
(Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA., United States)
Frank, L. A.
(Iowa Univ. Iowa City, IA., United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: ESA, Substorms 1
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
95N18240
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
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