The Electric Fields and Waves (EFW) Instruments on the two Radiation Belt Storm Probe (RBSP) spacecraft (recently renamed the Van Allen Probes) are designed to measure three dimensional quasi-static and low frequency electric fields and waves associated with the major mechanisms responsible for the acceleration of energetic charged particles in the inner magnetosphere of the Earth. For this measurement, the instrument uses two pairs of spherical double probe sensors at the ends of orthogonal centripetally deployed booms in the spin plane with tip-to-tip separations of 100 meters. The third component of the electric field is measured by two spherical sensors separated by ∼15 m, deployed at the ends of two stacer booms oppositely directed along the spin axis of the spacecraft. The instrument provides a continuous stream of measurements over the entire orbit of the low frequency electric field vector at 32 samples/s in a survey mode. This survey mode also includes measurements of spacecraft potential to provide information on thermal electron plasma variations and structure. Survey mode spectral information allows the continuous evaluation of the peak value and spectral power in electric, magnetic and density fluctuations from several Hz to 6.5 kHz. On-board cross-spectral data allows the calculation of field-aligned wave Poynting flux along the magnetic field. For higher frequency waveform information, two different programmable burst memories are used with nominal sampling rates of 512 samples/s and 16 k samples/s. The EFW burst modes provide targeted measurements over brief time intervals of 3-d electric fields, 3-d wave magnetic fields (from the EMFISIS magnetic search coil sensors), and spacecraft potential. In the burst modes all six sensor-spacecraft potential measurements are telemetered enabling interferometric timing of small-scale plasma structures. In the first burst mode, the instrument stores all or a substantial fraction of the high frequency measurements in a 32 gigabyte burst memory. The sub-intervals to be downloaded are uplinked by ground command after inspection of instrument survey data and other information available on the ground. The second burst mode involves autonomous storing and playback of data controlled by flight software algorithms, which assess the "highest quality" events on the basis of instrument measurements and information from other instruments available on orbit. The EFW instrument provides 3-d wave electric field signals with a frequency response up to 400 kHz to the EMFISIS instrument for analysis and telemetry (Kletzing et al. Space Sci. Rev. 2013).

The Electric Fields and Waves (EFW) Instruments on the two Radiation Belt Storm Probe (RBSP) spacecraft (recently renamed the Van Allen Probes) are designed to measure three dimensional quasi-static and low frequency electric fields and waves associated with the major mechanisms responsible for the acceleration of energetic charged particles in the inner magnetosphere of the Earth. For this measurement, the instrument uses two pairs of spherical double probe sensors at the ends of orthogonal centripetally deployed booms in the spin plane with tip-to-tip separations of 100 meters. The third component of the electric field is measured by two spherical sensors separated by ∼15 m, deployed at the ends of two stacer booms oppositely directed along the spin axis of the spacecraft. The instrument provides a continuous stream of measurements over the entire orbit of the low frequency electric field vector at 32 samples/s in a survey mode. This survey mode also includes measurements of spacecraft potential to provide information on thermal electron plasma variations and structure. Survey mode spectral information allows the continuous evaluation of the peak value and spectral power in electric, magnetic and density fluctuations from several Hz to 6.5 kHz. On-board cross-spectral data allows the calculation of field-aligned wave Poynting flux along the magnetic field. For higher frequency waveform information, two different programmable burst memories are used with nominal sampling rates of 512 samples/s and 16 k samples/s. The EFW burst modes provide targeted measurements over brief time intervals of 3-d electric fields, 3-d wave magnetic fields (from the EMFISIS magnetic search coil sensors), and spacecraft potential. In the burst modes all six sensor-spacecraft potential measurements are telemetered enabling interferometric timing of small-scale plasma structures. In the first burst mode, the instrument stores all or a substantial fraction of the high frequency measurements in a 32 gigabyte burst memory. The sub-intervals to be downloaded are uplinked by ground command after inspection of instrument survey data and other information available on the ground. The second burst mode involves autonomous storing and playback of data controlled by flight software algorithms, which assess the "highest quality" events on the basis of instrument measurements and information from other instruments available on orbit. The EFW instrument provides 3-d wave electric field signals with a frequency response up to 400 kHz to the EMFISIS instrument for analysis and telemetry (Kletzing et al. Space Sci. Rev. 2013).

The Earth's radiation belts--also known as the Van Allen belts--contain high-energy electrons trapped on magnetic field lines. The centre of the outer belt is usually 20,000-25,000 km from Earth. The region between the belts is normally devoid of particles, and is accordingly favoured as a location for spacecraft operation because of the benign environment. Here we report that the outer Van Allen belt was compressed dramatically by a solar storm known as the 'Hallowe'en storm' of 2003. From 1 to 10 November, the outer belt had its centre only approximately 10,000 km from Earth's equatorial surface, and the plasmasphere was similarly displaced inwards. The region between the belts became the location of high particle radiation intensity. This remarkable deformation of the entire magnetosphere implies surprisingly powerful acceleration and loss processes deep within the magnetosphere.

We have used a unique constellation of Earth‐orbiting spacecraft and ground‐based measurements in order to study a relatively isolated magnetospheric substorm event on August 27, 2001. Global ultraviolet images of the northern auroral region established the substorm expansion phase onset at 0408:19 (±1 min) UT. Concurrent measurements from the GOES‐8, POLAR, LANL, and CLUSTER spacecraft allow us to construct a timeline which is consistent with magnetic reconnection on the closed field lines of the central plasma sheet near XGSM ∼ −18 RE some 7 minutes prior to the near‐earth and auroral region times of substorm expansion phase onset. This suggests that magnetic reconnection (i.e., the substorm neutral line) in this case formed in the mid‐tail region substantially before current disruption, field dipolarization near geostationary orbit, or auroral substorm onsets occurred. Thus, the magnetic reconnection process is interpreted as the causative driver of dissipation in this well‐observed case.

[1] On the basis of the multipoint magnetic observations of Cluster in the region 15-19 R E downtail, the magnetic field structure in magnetotail current sheet (CS) center is statistically surveyed. It is found that the B y component (in GSM coordinates) is distributed mainly within |B y | < 5nT, while the B z component is mostly positive and distributes mainly within 1∼10 nT. The plane of the magnetic field lines (MFLs) is mostly vertical to the equatorial plane, with the radius of curvature (Rc) of the MFLs being directed earthward and the binormal (perpendicular to the curvature and magnetic field direction) being directed azimuthally westward. The curvature radius of MFLs reaches a minimum, R c,min , at the CS center and is larger than the corresponding local half thickness of the neutral sheet, h. Statistically, it is found that the overall surface of the CS, with the normal pointing basically along the south-north direction, can be approximated to be a plane parallel to equatorial plane, although the local CS may be flapping and is frequently tilted to the equatorial plane. The tilted CS (normal inclined to the equatorial plane) is apt to be observed near both flanks and is mainly associated with the slippage of magnetic flux tubes. It is statistically verified that the minimum curvature radius, R c,min , half thickness of neutral sheet, h, and the slipping angle of MFLs, d, in the CS satisfies h = R c,min cosd. The current density, with a mean strength of 4-8 nA/m 2 , basically flows azimuthally and tangentially to the surface of the CS, from dawn side to the dusk side. There is an obvious dawn-dusk asymmetry of CS, however. For magnetic local times (MLT) ∼21:00-∼01:00, the CS is relatively thinner; the minimum curvature radius of MFLs, R c,min (0.6-1 R E ) and the half-thickness of neutral sheet, h (0.2-0.4 R E ), are relatively smaller, and B z (3-5 nT) and the minimum magnetic field, B min (5-7 nT), are weaker. It is also found that negative B z has a higher probability of occurrence and the cross-tail current density j Y is dominant (2-4 nA/m 2 ) in comparison to those values near both flanks. This implies that magnetic activity, e.g., magnetic reconnection and current disruption, could be triggered more frequently in CS with ∼21:00-∼01:00 MLT. Accordingly, if mapped to the region in the auroral ionosphere, it is expected that substorm onset would be optically observed with higher probability for ∼21:00-∼01:00 MLT, which is well in agreement with statistical observations of auroral substorm onset.

[1] We present the first systematic observational study on the pitch angle evolutions of O + ions associated with ULF Pc5 poloidal standing waves excited during geomagnetic storms. The O + ion measurements are made on board the CLUSTER satellites with the Composition Distribution Function (CODIF) instrument, which covers energies from 1 to 40 keV, a low-energy portion of the ring current. We find that the nature of the ion flux oscillation strongly depends on the magnetic latitude of observation. Near the magnetic equator, the flux oscillation appears only around 0°and 180°pitch angles with no phase delay, which can result from wave-particle interactions in a fundamental mode standing wave with a strong poloidal component. Away from the equator, however, the flux oscillation appears in a wide range of pitch angles with strong pitch angle dispersion that reverses sign from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere. The latitude dependence of the dispersion signature is explained by combining the ion energy modulation near the equator and the time of flight effect of ion bounce motion. The analysis technique shown in this study can be used to diagnose the field line mode structure of ULF waves.

[1] The modulations of the outer ring current O + ion fluxes by ULF Pc5 waves are investigated by multisatellite observations during storm times. The O + ions have energies up to tens of keV. We concentrate on the process in terms of drift-bounce resonance of O + ions with ULF standing waves to understand whether the ring current O + ions could be accelerated/decelerated by ULF waves. Two case studies are performed, in which the Cluster satellites travel the outer ring current region in the morning sector with radial distances of about 5.5 R E . Distinct O + ion flux oscillations are observed associated with fundamental mode ULF standing waves. On 25 October 2002, both satellites SC1 and SC4 observe strong poloidal and toroidal standing waves at approximately the same region one by one with a time lag of 45 min. The O + ion flux oscillations at around 20 keV are dominantly coherent with the poloidal standing wave at 3.4 mHz with cross phases of near 90°with respect to the magnetic field waves. The O + phase space density spectra at 10 to 25 keV, measured by both satellites, deviate significantly from the typical power law distribution. We suggest that the O + ions at 10 to 25 keV are accelerated due to drift-bounce resonance with the poloidal standing wave. On 4 November 2002, satellite SC1 observes considerable poloidal and toroidal standing waves. The O + ion flux oscillation at around 7 keV is well correlated with both of the two wave modes at 3.7 mHz with cross phases of about 90°with respect to the magnetic field waves. The O + spectra at 4 to 8 keV deviates remarkably from the background power law distribution. When satellite SC4 closely encounters the same region 40 min later, the wave activities at 3.7 mHz are found to be rather weak and the O + spectra is close to the background power law distribution. We suggest that the spectra variation of SC1 results from the deceleration of O + ion at 4 to 8 keV via drift-bounce resonances during the strong wave activities. The observations made in this study reveal the effective role of ULF standing waves in accelerating/decelerating the ring current O + ions.Citation: Yang, B., Q.-G. Zong, S. Y. Fu, X. Li, A. Korth, H. S. Fu, C. Yue, and H. Reme (2011), The role of ULF waves interacting with oxygen ions at the outer ring current during storm times,

[1] In this research, the properties of a tail current sheet, which has a flattened geometry, and its evolution during substorm activity have been investigated. The geometrical configuration of the magnetic field and the spatial distribution of the current density in a flattened current sheet have been revealed with certainty for the first time. It is found that such a flattened current sheet has sufficiently strong B y (GSM) within its neutral sheet that the magnetic field lines (MFLs) in the neutral sheet are lie almost in the GSM equatorial plane and that the normal directions are generally northward. Detailed analyses show that, the magnetic field lines are spiral-like, not plane curves, which are left-handed or right-handed spirals for B y > 0 or B y < 0. This magnetic rotation occurs predominantly in the neutral sheet. The flattened current sheet may be very thin, and the thickness of the neutral sheet is much less than the minimum radius of the curvature of the MFLs in the current sheet. The analysis also suggests that the neutral sheet current is field-aligned and lies mainly duskward. The curvature current makes little contribution to the total current in the flattened current sheet. The main current carriers in the neutral sheet of the flattened current sheet are electrons. A statistical survey shows that there is one positive correlation between B y in the flattened current sheet and IMF B y and penetration efficiency is 0.67. Flattened current sheets may occur in both quiet and disturbed periods and may appear at all phases of the substorms. During the growth phase of a substorm event, the neutral sheet of the flattened current sheet is shown to become progressively thinner, while the associated current density is increasing gradually. It is found that the northern turning of the IMF has triggered the explosive growth phase at the end of the growth phase, which lasts several minutes. At the explosive growth phase, the flattened current sheet becomes much thinner and the current density in the neutral sheet then increases considerably and reaches a value larger than 0.017 mAm À2 . Just after the onset of the substorm, the current density in the neutral sheet drops abruptly and varies turbulently.