This paper compares the electron spectra and phase space densities measured concurrently by ISEE-3 at 200 R(E), with those measured by DMSP at low altitudes. The field-aligned lobe electron phase space densities above 200 eV at ISEE were found to agree well with the DMSP-measured polar rain phase space densities near the polar cap; the spectral slopes above 200 eV were also similar. Below 100-200 eV, a thermal electron population was measured by ISEE in the distant tail, which arose from local entry of plasma through the distant magnetopause, which is not present at DMSP altitudes. These data show that the suprathermal tail lobe electrons are essentially a test particle population which can move freely along field lines to form polar rain; in contrast, the thermal electrons are bound to the tailward-flowing lobe ion population far down the tail and, thus, cannot reach the polar cap regions.


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    Title :

    Plasma electrons as tracers of distant magnetotail structure - ISEE-3


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1988-01-01



    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English


    Keywords :


    Plasma electrons as tracers of distant magnetotail structure: ISEE-3

    Baker, D.N. / Bame, S.J. / Gosling, J.T. et al. | Elsevier | 1989


    Structure of the distant terrestrial magnetotail

    Daly, Patrick W. | Elsevier | 1986