HR: 09:25h
AN: SM51D-06    [Abstracts]
TI: Cluster observations of electron acceleration in near-Earth reconnection events
AU: * Åsnes, A
EM: aasnes@rssd.esa.int
AU: Taylor, M G
EM: mtaylor@rssd.esa.int
AF: ESA, ESTEC Postbus 199 Keplerlaan 1, Noordwijk, 2200AG, Netherlands
AU: Borg, A L
EM: a.l.borg@bredbandsservice.no
AF: Norwegian defence research institute, postboks 25, Kjeller, 2027, Norway
AU: Escoubet, C P
EM: Philippe.Escoubet
AF: ESA, ESTEC Postbus 199 Keplerlaan 1, Noordwijk, 2200AG, Netherlands
AU: Laakso, H
EM: Harri.Laakso@rssd.esa.int
AF: ESA, ESTEC Postbus 199 Keplerlaan 1, Noordwijk, 2200AG, Netherlands
AU: Masson, A
EM: Arnaud.Masson@rssd.esa.int
AF: ESA, ESTEC Postbus 199 Keplerlaan 1, Noordwijk, 2200AG, Netherlands
AU: Østgaard, N
EM: nikost@ift.uib.no
AF: University of Bergen, Institutt for fysikk og teknologi Allegaten 55, Bergen, 5007, Norway
AU: Friedel, R
EM: friedel@lanl.gov
AF: LANL, Los Alamos National Laboratory ISR-1, Los Alamos, NM 87545, United States
AU: Daly, P
EM: daly@linmpi.mpg.de
AF: Max Planck Institute, Max-Planck-Str. 2, Katlenburg-Lindau, 37191, Germany
AU: Fazakerley, A N
EM: anf@mssl.ucl.ac.uk
AF: MSSL, University College, Hombury St. Mary, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6NT, United Kingdom
AB: Cluster observations of magnetic reconnection events in the near-Earth magnetotail are studied in detail, in an attempt to answer open questions regarding the acceleration of electrons in the reconnection region, such as the exact location of acceleration. We identify the Cluster positions relative to the X-line throughout the events, by investigation of plasma bulk flow and magnetic field. The events show a wide range of energetic electron flux intensities, both within individual events and between different events. Some of this variation might be understood in terms of spacecraft location relative to the X-line (Inflow region, Outflow region, earthward and tailward of X-line and separatrices). We will also investigate other possible factors such as local time (or YGSM) of observations, concurrent wave activity and overall geomagnetic activity. Both plasma sheet- and lobe-field line reconnection are studied, where differences can be expected. The intensities of energetic electrons (>40 keV) are put into context of those in the plasma sheet, before and after the events.
DE: 7807 Charged particle motion and acceleration
DE: 7835 Magnetic reconnection (2723, 7526)
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting