HR: 0830h
AN: SH21B-0146    [PDF]
TI: Solar Wind Discontinuity Observations Using Simultaneously FGM Magnetic Field Data and CIS Plasma Data From the Four Cluster Spacecraft
AU: * Knetter, T
EM: knetter@geo.uni-koeln.de
AF: University of Cologne, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, Cologne, 50923 Germany
AU: Neubauer, F M
EM: neubauer@geo.uni-koeln.de
AF: University of Cologne, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, Cologne, 50923 Germany
AU: Horbury, T
EM: t.horbury@ic.ac.uk
AF: Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2BZ United Kingdom
AU: Balogh, A
EM: a.balogh@ic.ac.uk
AF: Imperial College, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2BZ United Kingdom
AU: Fraenz, M
EM: fraenz@linmpi.mpg.de
AF: MPI, Max-Planck-Str. 2, Lindau, 37191 Germany
AU: Korth, A
EM: korth@linmpi.mpg.de
AF: MPI, Max-Planck-Str. 2, Lindau, 37191 Germany
AU: Dandouras, I
EM: Iannis.Dandouras@cesr.fr
AF: CESR/CNRS, 9 Avenue du Colonel Roche, B.P.4346, Toulouse, 31028 France
AU: Reme, H
EM: henri.reme@cesr.fr
AF: CESR/CNRS, 9 Avenue du Colonel Roche, B.P.4346, Toulouse, 31028 France
AB: Discontinuities are known to be fundamental features of the solar wind. Using both, magnetic field data from all four Cluster spacecraft and plasma data from the cis hia instrument on board spacecraft 1 and 3 a detailed analysis of interplanetary discontinuities is accomplished. Having four close-by Minimum Variance Analysis (MVA) normal estimates and one additional estimate from relative timings (triangulation) the determination of the discontinuity orientation is superior to past single spacecraft attempts. Serious consequences of misleading interpretations of single spacecraft MVA results are assessed in our analysis. The relative number of discontinuities being clearly identified as rotational is far less than past estimates suggest. For the majority of discontinuities a definite classification into RDs and TDs using magnetic field data only is not possible. Therefore the use of plasma data is inevitable. Necessary conditions for a discontinuity to be rotational, as e.g. the polarization relation, are not fulfilled by many of these discontinuities. Our analysis allows the interpretation that the solar wind is dominated by tangential and not by rotational discontinuities.
DE: 2100 INTERPLANETARY PHYSICS
DE: 2109 Discontinuities
DE: 2134 Interplanetary magnetic fields
DE: 2164 Solar wind plasma
DE: 7811 Discontinuities
SC: SPA - Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting