HR: 16:00h
AN: SM52F-01 [PDF]
TI: Cusp Structures and the Location of the Reconnection Site
AU: * Trattner, K J
EM: trattner@mail.spasci.com
AF: Lockheed Martin ATC, 3251 Hanover Str., L9-42, B255, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1191 United States
AU: Fuselier, S A
EM: fuselier@mail.spasci.com
AF: Lockheed Martin ATC, 3251 Hanover Str., L9-42, B255, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1191 United States
AU: Petrinec, S M
EM: petrinec@mail.spasci.com
AF: Lockheed Martin ATC, 3251 Hanover Str., L9-42, B255, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1191 United States
AB:
Ground-based observations (SuperDARN) together with multi-spacecraft observations (Polar, FAST, Interball and the Cluster
satellites) reveal that structures observed in the cusp are both temporal and spatial phenomenon. While
temporal cusp structures maybe the result of variations in the reconnection rate at the magnetopause, spatial cusp structures
are thought to be due to spatially separated flux tubes emenating from multiple reconnection regions at the
magnetopause.
In this study we analyze a double cusp structure observed by the Cluster satellites. The analysis of the double cusp together
with ionospheric convection information by the SuperDARN radar arrays show that these structures are
associated with different convection cells, consistent with a spatial phenomenon. The distance to the reconnection line for
both structures was calculated using the proven method of 3D cuts of the Cluster proton distribution function in the cusp to
identify the low energy cutoffs of precipitating and mirrored ion populations. The calculated distance to the reconnection
line is determined by tracing along the geomagnetic field to the reconnection site, where the draped IMF is used to estimate
the magnetic field shear angle across the magnetopause. We find that double cusp precipitation originates in the
anti-parallel reconnection regions in the northern and southern hemispheres,
confirming the multiple reconnection line scenario.
DE: 2716 Energetic particles, precipitating
DE: 2724 Magnetopause, cusp, and boundary layers
DE: 2784 Solar wind/magnetosphere interactions
SC: SPA - Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting