Magnetic storms in the Earth's magnetic tail

Behannon, K. W.; Ness, N. F.

doi:10.1029/jz071i009p02327

Cited by 68 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…These results a r e in agreement with the IMP 1 magnetic storm observations (Behannon and Ness, 1966).…”

Section: *supporting

confidence: 82%

“…in September Large temporal field variations o r "magnetic storms" were observed in the earth's tail by I M P 1 and were correlated with the corresponding disturbance variations recorded by magnetic observatories at the earth's surface (Behannon and Ness, 1966 Smith and Sonett (1962), Smith et al (1964), and Cahill and Bailey (1967).…”

Section: Historical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mapping of the Earth's bow shock and magnetic tail by Explorer 33

Behannon¹

1968

J. Geophys. Res.

211

116

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The Explorer 33 satellite was launched July 1, 1966 and was injected into a highly elliptical earth orbit. The Goddard Space Flight Center magnetic field experiment onboard the spacecraft consists of a triaxial fluxgate sensor with a maximum dynamic range of ±64 gammas and a sensitivity of ±0.25 gamma along each axis. Because of the initial apogee‐earth‐sun angle of 118° west of the sun, the first 8 orbits of Explorer 33 (July 1 to November 11, 1966) mapped the earth's magnetosheath and magnetic tail from the western flank of the bow shock to the eastern flank. This mapping of the geomagnetic tail out to 80 earth radii established that the tail extends beyond the lunar orbital distance. Explorer 33 has also found that the earth's bow shock is still a detectable boundary between the interplanetary magnetic field and the downstream magnetosheath at a geocentric distance of 75.7 earth radii. The measurements have further suggested that the cross section of the geomagnetic tail is probably not cylindrical and have shown that the magnetic field magnitude in the tail decreases with distance down the tail from the earth.

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“…These results a r e in agreement with the IMP 1 magnetic storm observations (Behannon and Ness, 1966).…”

Section: *supporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Historical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping of the Earth's bow shock and magnetic tail by Explorer 33

Behannon¹

1968

J. Geophys. Res.

211

116

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“…Statistical studies have shown that the tail field tends to be large during times of high Kp (Behannon and Ness, 1966; and there is further evidence from particle and field measurements that the total flux in the tail increases during magnetic storms (Ness and Williams, 1966;Williams and Ness, 1966;Sugiura et al, 1968). Measurements in the tail (Heppner et al, 1967;Sugiura 1968) and at 6.6 RE (Cummings and Coleman, 1968) have been compared to auroral zone magnetograms yielding correlations which suggest important changes in the tail field configuration during magnetospheric substorms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Configuration of the geomagnetic tail during substorms

Fairfield¹,

Ness²

1970

J. Geophys. Res.

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242

126

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Imp 4 vector magnetic field measurements and the geomagnetic AE index are used to study the configuration of the geomagnetic tail within 34 RE and its variations during substorms. The existence of a depressed field magnitude region corresponding to the average position of the plasma sheet is confirmed and the average solar magnetospheric component of the field is found to be northward and independent of distance from the expected position of the neutral sheet for |Z8m≲8 RE. The Z8m component measured some distance from the equatorial plane is a measure of flux crossing the neutral sheet and can be studied as a function of time during substorms. Prior to and during the early phases of a substorm the tail field magnitude increases and the northward field component decreases as the plasma sheet becomes thin. Later in the substorm the field magnitude decreases and the northward field component increases as the tail field relaxes to a more dipolar state. The greater number of field lines crossing the neutral sheet after the substorm is in agreement with the predictions of reconnection theories. Enhanced Z8m components after substorms and during the rare occurrences of very quiet intervals suggest that many more field lines close near the earth and fewer go into the gomagnetic tail at these times.

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“…F o r such a model, the magnetic field should collapse to a sheet-like configuration near the neutral points with the field direction reversing across the sheet and the magnitude being relatively very weak within the sheet itself. Previous reports using data from the IMP-1 satellite have discussed the observed magnetic field topology in the magnetosphere, correlations of energetic particles and magnetic field data, the interplanetary medium, and the discovery of a magnetically neutral sheet in the magnetospheric tail [Ness, 1965;Behannon and Ness, 1966;Ness and Williams, 1966;Anderson and N e s s , 1966; Williams and N e s s , 19661.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The neutral sheet in the geomagnetic tail: Its motion, equivalent currents, and field line connection through it

1967

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From March 22 to May 26, 1964, during orbits 30 through 47, the IMP 1 satellite was located within the earth's magnetic tail, and measurements of the imbedded neutral sheet were possible. Forty‐two observations of magnetic field reversals accompanied by a decrease in the field magnitude were detected. Of these, 38 are identified as crossings of a well‐developed magnetic neutral sheet or current sheet. The relatively thin neutral sheet lies within a broad region of magnetic field depression and plasma enhancement, or ‘plasma sheet.’ The neutral sheet frequently appears to be moving relative to the satellite with a maximum velocity of a few kilometers per second, and on many orbits multiple crossings occur. The formation of the sheet appears to begin near the magnetic equatorial plane at a geocentric distance of 10±3 RE. The sheet thickness appears to be larger close to the earth and the dawn side of the tail and smaller farther away and toward the noon‐midnight meridian. At its thinnest region the sheet appears to be about 500 km thick and about 5000 km at the thickest part. The normal component of magnetic field within the sheet appears from these measurements to be 1–4 gammas toward the dawn side of the tail and less than 1 gamma near the noon‐midnight meridian plane. Thus the IMP 1 results favor those models of the tail field topology in which merging of field lines occurs across the imbedded neutral sheet.

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Magnetic storms in the Earth's magnetic tail

Cited by 68 publications

References 65 publications

Mapping of the Earth's bow shock and magnetic tail by Explorer 33

Mapping of the Earth's bow shock and magnetic tail by Explorer 33

Configuration of the geomagnetic tail during substorms

The neutral sheet in the geomagnetic tail: Its motion, equivalent currents, and field line connection through it

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