HR: 14:55h
AN: SA13B-06    [Abstracts]
TI: Plasma Density and Drift Patterns in the Inner Magnetosphere During Storms
AU: * Laakso, H
EM: Harri.Laakso@esa.int
AF: ESTEC, code SCI-SH, Postbus 299, Noordwijk, 2200 AG Netherlands
AU: Escoubet, P
SA13B-06 AF: ESTEC, code SCI-SH, Postbus 299, Noordwijk, 2200 AG Netherlands
AU: Masson, A
SA13B-06 AF: ESTEC, code SCI-SH, Postbus 299, Noordwijk, 2200 AG Netherlands
AU: Opgenoorth, H
SA13B-06 AF: ESTEC, code SCI-SH, Postbus 299, Noordwijk, 2200 AG Netherlands
AU: Taylor, M
SA13B-06 AF: ESTEC, code SCI-SH, Postbus 299, Noordwijk, 2200 AG Netherlands
AB: We investigate plasma density and drift patterns in the inner magnetosphere during storm intervals in 2004, using multi-point Cluster observations from the EFW experiments and single-point Polar EFI observations. As their perigees are in the same MLT sector, they also provide interesting conjunction observations from time to time. The Cluster crosses the inner magnetosphere only near the perigee at L = 4-10, saying that during storm intervals the plasmapause may not be crossed but still interesting plasmaspheric structures, such as plumes and other irregularities, are encountered. Polar collects data on two opposing MLT sectors so that on one side near the perigee at small distances (1.6-3 Re) it crosses L shells down to L = 2 over both hemispheres. However, during storms the density can become very high at low altitudes, hiding many features such as the plasmapause or the plumes. In 2004 the northern pass usually happened below 2 Re distance and the southern pass at 2-3 Re distance which is enough to create significant differences between the two passes. On the other side of the Earth around the apogee at 9 Re distance Polar crosses the inner magnetosphere twice, once near the equator and once over the northern hemisphere, but the satellite usually moves only on high L shells above L =5. As for Cluster, then the plasmapause is not crossed during active intervals, but many other features are detected. This paper presents selected plasmaspheric/trough observations, emphasizing aspects on how the plasma density and plasma drifts evolve during storm intervals.
DE: 2712 Electric fields (2411)
DE: 2730 Magnetosphere: inner
DE: 2760 Plasma convection (2463)
DE: 2768 Plasmasphere
DE: 2788 Magnetic storms and substorms (7954)
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005