Cluster Observation of Magnetic Structure and Electron Flows at a Northward Interplanetary Magnetic Field X-Line
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Author/Creator ORCID
Date
2006-01
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Citation of Original Publication
Wendel, D. E., et al. ""Cluster Observation of Magnetic Structure and Electron Flows at a Northward Interplanetary Magnetic Field X-Line."" Proceedings Cluster and Double Star Symposium – 5th Anniversary of Cluster in Space, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 19 - 23 September 2005. https://sci.esa.int/documents/34817/36255/1567253602750-7.3_Wendel.pdf.
Rights
This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
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Public Domain Mark 1.0
Subjects
Abstract
On March 18, 2002, the Cluster satellites traveled from
the earth’s northern mantle into the magnetosheath.
During this time, the IMAGE spacecraft observed a
long-lived proton emission northward of the auroral
zone. The Cluster electron and magnetic field data
suggest Cluster passed within 1 km of an active
reconnection line, entering the ion diffusion region and
the edge of the electron diffusion region. We present
the current structure, velocity, orientation, and size of
the reconnection line. The functional fit to the data also
gives an estimate of 100 km for the thickness of the
current sheet. We propose that the x-line, though
wavering over the spacecraft, is globally stable during
Cluster's passage through the magnetopause.