Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Zhang, Zi-Ying
• Shi, Jian-Kui
• Cheng, Zheng-Wei
• Fazakerley, Andrew

Titel

Field-Aligned Electrons in Polar Region Observed by Cluster on 30 September 2001

Ist Teil von

• Chinese physics letters, 2012-09, Vol.29 (9), p.99401-1-099401-4

Erscheinungsjahr

2012

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The physical process in the Earth's polar region is very complex and still needs to be further studied. Using the data from Cluster satellite measurement, an analysis on field-aligned electrons in the mid-latitude cusp on 30 September 2001 has been performed. The satellite observed a down-flowing electron event in the low-latitude boundary and a sequential up-flowing electron event in the high-latitude boundary of the cusp region. The down-flowing electron had a velocity as high as 500km/s and a flux of 2.0 x 10 super(9)cm super(-2) times s super(-1). The up-flowing electron had a velocity up to 1200km/s and a flux of 4.9 x 10 super(9) cm super(-2) times s super(-1). Both the velocity and the flux observed in this event are the maximum values of the up-flowing electrons observed by all satellites to date. The electron is the main contributor for the field-aligned current in this event. The physical mechanism is also discussed. The down-flowing electron in the low-latitude boundary of the cusp region may result from solar wind injecting during the southward IMF, and the up-flowing electrons in the high-latitude boundary of cusp may result from mirroring of the solar wind, or from the ionospheric up-flowing electrons which have been accelerated