W. Baumjohann

Bursty bulk flows in the inner central plasma sheet

High speed flows in the Earths Inner Central Plasma Sheet (ICPS) occur during enhanced flow intervals that have been termed Bursty Bulk Flow (BBF) events. The importance of different flow magnitude samples for Earthward transport in the ICPS are statistically evaluated and several representative BBFs and their relevance to Earthward transport are discussed. The selection of BBFs is automated in a database and they are shown to be responsible for most of the Earthward transport that occurs within the ICPS. The BBF related transport is compared to the transport measured within the entire plasma sheet during the 1985 AMPTE/IRM crossings of the magnetotail. The results show that BBFs last only a small fraction of the time in the plasma sheet but can account for several tens of percent of the Earthward particle and energy transfer and possibly all of the Earthward magnetic flux transfer in the plasma sheet.

Neutral line model of substorms: Past results and present view

The near-Earth neutral line (NENL) model of magnetospheric substorms is reviewed. The observed phenomenology of substorms is discussed including the role of coupling with the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field, the growth phase sequence, the expansion phase (and onset), and the recovery phase. New observations and modeling results are put into the context of the prior model framework. Significant issues and concerns about the shortcomings of the NENL model are addressed. Such issues as ionosphere-tail coupling, large-scale mapping, onset trigger- ing, and observational timing are discussed. It is concluded that the NENL model is evolving and being improved so as to include new observations and theoretical insights. More work is clearly required in order to incorporate fully the complete set of ionospheric, near-tail, midtail, and deep- tail features of substorms. Nonetheless, the NENL model still seems to provide the best avail- able framework for ordering the complex, global manifestations of substorms.

Braking of high‐speed flows in the near‐Earth tail

We have studied possible braking mechanisms of high-speed ion flows in the near-Earth central plasma sheet for radial distances between 9 and 19 Earth Radii (RE) on the basis of observations made by the AMPTE/IRM satellite. Flows with velocities in excess of 400 km/s are almost always Earthward for this range, indicating that the source of the flows is beyond 19 RE. Though the occurrence rate of the high-speed flows substantially decreases when the satellite comes closer to the Earth, high-speed flows with velocities higher than 600 km/s are still observed. We suggest that the high-speed flows are stopped at a clear boundary between the regions of dipolar field and tail-like field in the plasma sheet. The boundary corresponds to the inner edge of the neutral sheet. The average jump of the magnetic field at the boundary, which is estimated from the observations by assuming a pressure balance, is 6.7 nT. The inertia current caused by the braking of the flow and the current caused by pileup of the magnetic flux at the stopping point are quantitatively estimated and discussed in relation to the formation of the substorm current wedge.

The terrestrial ring current: Origin, formation, and decay

The terrestrial ring current is an electric current flowing toroidally around the Earth, centered at the equatorial plane and at altitudes of ;10,000 - 60,000 km. Changes in this current are responsible for global decreases in the Earths surface magnetic field, which are known as geomagnetic storms. Intense geomagnetic storms have severe effects on technological systems, such as disturbances or even permanent damage to tele- communication and navigation satellites, telecommuni- cation cables, and power grids. The main carriers of the storm ring current are positive ions, with energies from ;1 keV to a few hundred keV, which are trapped by the geomagnetic field and undergo an azimuthal drift. The ring current is formed by the injection of ions originating in the solar wind and the terrestrial ionosphere. The injection process involves electric fields, associated with enhanced magnetospheric convection and/or magneto- spheric substorms. The quiescent ring current is carried mainly by protons of predominantly solar wind origin, while geospace activity tends to increase the abundance (both absolute and relative) of O 1 ions, which are of ionospheric origin. During intense magnetic storms, the O 1 abundance increases dramatically, resulting in a rapid intensification of the ring current and an O 1 dominance around storm maximum. This compositional change affects, among other processes, the decay of the ring current through the species- and energy-dependent charge exchange and wave-particle scattering loss. En- ergetic neutral atoms, products of charge exchange, en- able global imaging of the ring current and are the most promising diagnostic tool of ring current evolution. This review will cover the origin of ring current particles, their transport and acceleration, the effects of composi- tional variations in the ring current, the effects of sub- storms on ring current growth, and the dynamics of ring current decay with an emphasis on the process of charge exchange and the potential for wave scattering loss.

The magnetosheath region adjacent to the dayside magnetopause: AMPTE/IRM observations

We have studied 38 low-latitude, dayside (0800-1600 LT) magnetopause crossings by the AMPTE/IRM satellite to investigate the variations of key plasma parameters and the magnetic field in the magnetosheath region adjacent to the dayside magnetopause. We find that the structures of the key plasma parameters and the magnetic field and the dynamics of plasma flows in this region depend strongly on the magnetic shear across the magnetopause, that is, on the angle between the magnetosheath magnetic field and the geomagnetic field. When the magnetic shear is low ( 1. When the magnetic shear across the magnetopause is high (>60°), the near-magnetopause magnetosheath is more disturbed. The magnetic field in this case does not pile up in the immediate vicinity of the magnetopause, and no systematic variations in the plasma parameters are observed in this region until the encounter of the magnetopause current layer; that is, there is no magnetosheath transition layer. Also in contrast to the low-shear case, the mirror instability threshold is marginally satisfied throughout the magnetosheath. The plasma flow pattern in the magnetosheath region adjacent to the dayside magnetopause is also found to depend strongly on the magnetic shear across the magnetopause: the magnetosheath flow component tangential to the magnetopause is enhanced and rotates to become more perpendicular to the local magnetic field as the low-shear magnetopause is approached. This flow behavior may be consistent with the formation of a stagnation line instead of a stagnation point at the subsolar magnetopause. Enhancement and rotation of the magnetosheath flow on approach to the magnetopause are rarely observed when the magnetic shear across the magnetopause is high. In essence, our observations provide evidence for high (low) rate of transfer of magnetic flux and mass across the magnetopause when the magnetic shear is high (low). The relationships between the electron and proton temperature anisotropies and β in the near-magnetopause magnetosheath region are also examined. It is found that Te⊥/Te∥ remains close to 1 for the entire range of βe, whereas Tp⊥/Tp∥ is generally anticorrelated with βp∥. However, no universal relationship seems to exist between Tp⊥/Tp∥ and βp∥.

Earthward flow bursts, auroral streamers, and small expansions

Earthward flow bursts associated with small auroral expansions, including pseudobreakups, and auroral streamers are studied by using Geotail plasma and magnetic field data and Polar ultraviolet imager data. These flow bursts are accompanied by dipolarization and decrease in the plasma pressure, which are consistent with the characteristics of so-called bubbles, and have a timescale of 2.5 min on average. Based on a statistical study of the flow bursts, it is shown that the location of the flows are centered about 0.4 hour magnetic local time east of the center of auroral expansion and are localized with a width of 3 – 5 RE. This relationship supports the idea that a dawn-to-dusk polarization electric field is created in the bubble to enhance the flows. The flow bursts associated with the small expansions, which are mainly observed in the region earthward of 15 RE, show more distinct signatures of compression at the front side of the flow, which possibly leads to the stopping of these flows. Flow bursts related to auroral streamers, which are observed mainly tailward of 15 RE, take place during relatively thick plasma sheet configurations, and are accompanied by stronger flow shear.

High‐speed ion flow, substorm current wedge, and multiple Pi 2 pulsations

We have studied the onset timing of earthward high-speed ion flow observed by the AMPTE/IRM satellite at 12.3 Earth radii (RE) and 0100 MLT in the central plasma sheet during an isolated substorm event on March 1, 1985. The timing of this onset is compared with that of the substorm current wedge and Pi 2 magnetic pulsations observed by a large number of ground-based stations and the AMPTE/CCE, GOES 5, and ISEE 1 satellites and with that of high-energy particle injection observed at Los Aimos geosynchronous satellite 1982-019. The onset of earthward high-speed flow is observed 3 min before the onset of the global current wedge formation and 6 min before the onset of high-energy particle injection. The three bursts of the high-speed flow observed at AMPTE/IRM are likely to correspond to three compressional pulses observed at AMPTE/CCE at 6 RE and three Pi 2 wave packets observed at midlatitude ground stations. On the basis of these observations we conclude that the substorm current wedge is caused by inertia current and the current due to flow shear at the braking point of the earthward high-speed flow during the initial stage of the substorm expansion phase. The braking point is well separated from the near-Earth neutral line. It is also suggested that the compressional pulses and fluctuations of field-aligned currents generated at the flow braking point can be the initial cause of the Pi 2 magnetic pulsations in the inner magnetosphere.

Substorm dipolarization and recovery

On the basis of ∼2 years of Geotail data, we use a superposed epoch approach to study the average behavior of plasma and magnetic fields at different radial distances, between 11 and 31 RE, during 66 substorms in the premidnight sector. Magnetic field dipolarization is first seen in the innermost region (11–16 RE) around substorm onset and subsequently moves tailward at a rate of 35 km/s. Fast earthward and tailward ion bulk flows in the central plasma sheet indicate that during substorm expansion the near-Earth neutral line is located between 21 and 26 RE, with a tendency to be closer to 21 RE near substorm onset. About 45 min after onset, the tailward moving dipolarization front reaches the distance range where the near-Earth neutral line is located. Thereafter the near-Earth neutral line disappears beyond 31 RE. This is the classical signature of the start of the recovery phase. We conclude that substorm recovery sets in when the tailward moving dipolarization front reaches the near-Earth neutral line, because the near-Earth neutral line cannot operate in a dipolar field geometry.

Flow braking and the substorm current wedge

Recent models of magnetotail activity have associated the braking of earthward flow with dipolarization and the reduction and diversion of cross-tail current, that is, the signatures of the substorm current wedge. Estimates of the magnitude of the diverted current by Haerendel [1992] and Shiokawa et al. [1997, 1998] tend to be lower than results from computer simulations of magnetotail reconnection and tail collapse [Birn and Hesse, 1996], despite similar underlying models. An analysis of the differences between these estimates on the basis of the simulations gives a more refined picture of the diversion of perpendicular into parallel currents. The inertial currents considered by Haerendel [1992] and Shiokawa et al. [1997] contribute to the initial current reduction and diversion, but the dominant and more permanent contribution stems from the pressure gradient terms, which change in connection with the field collapse and distortion. The major effect results from pressure gradients in the z direction, rather than from the azimuthal gradients [Shiokawa et al., 1998], combined with changes in B y and B x . The reduction of the current density near the equatorial plane is associated with a reduction of the curvature drift which overcompensates changes of the magnetization current and of the gradient B drift current. In contrast to the inertial current effects, the pressure gradient effects persist even after the burst of earthward flow ends.

JOINT TWO-DIMENSIONAL OBSERVATIONS OF GROUND MAGNETIC AND IONOSPHERIC ELECTRIC FIELDS ASSOCIATED WITH AURORAL ZONE CURRENTS: CURRENT SYSTEMS ASSOCIATED WITH LOCAL AURORAL BREAK-UPS

Abstract On 15 February, 1977, ground magnetic, ionospheric electric and auroral signatures of a multiple onset substorm were observed simultaneously by the Scandinavian Magnetometer Array (SMA), the Scandinavian Twin Auroral Radar Experiment (STARE) and the Finnish all-sky camera chain. Between 21:00 and 21:30 U.T., i.e. around local magnetic midnight, three consecutive local auroral break-ups were observed over Scandinavia. Each of these break-ups was preceded by a clear fading of the aurora and magnetic fields (while the electric fields remained unaffected), and occurred slightly south of the Harang discontinuity in the region of north-westward-directed electric fields. They were associated with a sudden change in direction of the electric field from north-west to south-west and the appearance of a westward equivalent current in the localized active region (about 1200 × 300 km 2 ). These observations matched the features to be expected during the generation of a Cowling channel by a strong increase of the ionospheric conductivities due to precipitating auroral electrons. Numerical model calculations, based on the observations during the initial brightening and peak development of the second, most conspicuous break-up, show that the field-aligned currents at the northern and southern border of the active region are indeed very weak. However, highly localized and intense upward field-aligned currents at the western edge of the active region and more widespread and less intense downward currents in the eastern half preserve current continuity of the westward Cowling current and complete the substorm current wedge.