HR: 13:40h
AN: SM13D-01 INVITED [Abstracts]
TI: THEMIS overview, first results and near future
AU: * Angelopoulos, V
EM: vassilis@ucla.edu
AF: IGPP/UCLA, Box 951567, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
AU: Sibeck, D
AF: NASA/GSFC, Code 696, Greenbelt, MD 20771, United States
AU: McFadden, J P
AF: SSL/UCB, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Carlson, C W
AF: SSL/UCB, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Larson, D
AF: SSL/UCB, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Bonnell, J W
AF: SSL/UCB, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Mozer, F S
AF: SSL/UCB, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Phan, K H
AF: SSL/UCB, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Glassmeier, K H
AF: TU Braunschweig, Pockelsstr. 14, Braunschweig, D-38106, Germany
AU: Auster, U
AF: TU Braunschweig, Pockelsstr. 14, Braunschweig, D-38106, Germany
AU: Roux, A
AF: CETP/IPSL, 10-12 Avenue de l'Europe, Velizy, 78140, France
AU: LeContel, O
AF: CETP/IPSL, 10-12 Avenue de l'Europe, Velizy, 78140, France
AU: Parks, G
AF: SSL/UCB, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Fillingim, M
AF: SSL/UCB, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Sigwarth, J
AF: NASA/GSFC, Code 696, Greenbelt, MD 20771, United States
AU: Mende, S
AF: SSL/UCB, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Frey, H
AF: SSL/UCB, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Donovan, E T
AF: Univ. of Calgary, Department Physics & Astronomy, SB 636, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4,
Canada
AU: Russell, C T
AF: IGPP/UCLA, Box 951567, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
AU: Strangeway, R
AF: IGPP/UCLA, Box 951567, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
AU: Mann, I
AF: Univ of Alberta, Dept of Physics, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2J1, Canada
AU: Rae, J
AF: Univ of Alberta, Dept of Physics, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2J1, Canada
AU: Raeder, J
AF: Univ. of New Hampshire, Space Science Center, Durham, NH 03824, United States
AU: Ergun, R E
AF: LASP, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, United States
AU: Li, X
AF: LASP, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, United States
AU: Liu, W
AF: LASP, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, United States
AU: Singer, H J
AF: NOAA, 1234, Boulder, CO 80303, United States
AB:
Since its launch, on February 17 2007, the five-satellite
(or -probe) THEMIS mission has been operating
nominally in a 14.6Re apogee (low-perigee), near-equatorial
orbit. Most instruments have been on
since March 15. Electric field (EFI) instruments on three probes
were turned on and operating nominally since mid-June.
EFI instruments on the other two probes will be deployed in early
winter. THEMIS nominal science operations commenced on July 1.
In its early orbits through the dusk magnetotail, the THEMIS
probes captured several substorms and a small storm at roughly
radial alignments along the 20-23MLT meridian. The THEMIS
first-light (a single orbit in nominal science mode during early
operations) on March-23, was nature's welcome: Two substorm
sequences were captured in fast survey mode: particle
injections and dipolarization signatures were seen
propagating from one probe to another. An Earthward
flow pulse ahead of a predominantly duskward flow
accompanied a strong field-aligned current pair signature at
the THEMIS altitude. POLAR VIS,UVI imaged the global evolution
of the aurora. The THEMIS GBO array captured the salient
features of the largest intensification of the first
substorm, concurrent with the most intense particle
injection on THEMIS probes. FAST, whose orbit passed through
the vicinity of the THEMIS footprints 3 min after the major
intensification, made detailed observations of the
field aligned currents, arc and outflowing ions.
In July and August, the THEMIS probes repeatedly encountered
the magnetopause and bow shock, observing
FTEs, LLBL and boundary layers with the three inner, deployed-EFI-bearing probes (C,D,E)
at 100-500km separations, and the two outer probes (B, A)
at 5,000-10,000 km separations. Dissecting FTEs,
providing evidence for simultaneous reconnection at both cusps
for northward IMF orientation, and directly relating magnetopause
and boundary layer motion to corresponding ULF waves
in the magnetosphere, are some of the exciting findings
from this dayside interlude. In September 2007 the probes
commenced the series maneuvers that will place them into
their final orbits with approximately 30Re, 20Re, 12Re (2)
and 10Re apogees and orbital periods of 4, 2, and 1 days.
In these orbits, they will be aligned
along the Sun-Earth line in Earth's magnetotail in January - March 2008. Results obtained demonstrate the
high data quality and the potential for scientific discovery,
particularly when combined with existing ancillary data or campaigns.
UR: http://themis.ssl.berkeley.edu
DE: 2431 Ionosphere/magnetosphere interactions (2736)
DE: 2740 Magnetospheric configuration and dynamics
DE: 2744 Magnetotail
DE: 2784 Solar wind/magnetosphere interactions
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting