Dissemin is shutting down on January 1st, 2025

Published in

European Geosciences Union, Annales Geophysicae, 10(29), p. 1755-1763, 2011

DOI: 10.5194/angeo-29-1755-2011

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Density and temperature of energetic electrons in the Earth's magnetotail derived from high-latitude GPS observations during the declining phase of the solar cycle

Journal article published in 2011 by M. H. Denton ORCID, T. E. Cayton
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Single relativistic-Maxwellian fits are made to high-latitude GPS-satellite observations of energetic elec-trons for the period January 2006–November 2010; a constel-lation of 12 GPS space vehicles provides the observations. The derived fit parameters (for energies ∼0.1–1.0 MeV), in combination with field-line mapping on the nightside of the magnetosphere, provide a survey of the energetic electron density and temperature distribution in the magnetotail be-tween McIlwain L-values of L = 6 and L = 22. Analysis reveals the characteristics of the density-temperature distri-bution of energetic electrons and its variation as a function of solar wind speed and the Kp index. The density-temperature characteristics of the magnetotail energetic electrons are very similar to those found in the outer electron radiation belt as measured at geosynchronous orbit. The energetic electron density in the magnetotail is much greater during increased geomagnetic activity and during fast solar wind. The total electron density in the magnetotail is found to be strongly correlated with solar wind speed and is at least a factor of two greater for high-speed solar wind (V SW = 500–1000 km s −1) compared to low-speed solar wind (V SW = 100–400 km s −1). These results have important implications for understanding (a) how the solar wind may modulate entry into the magne-tosphere during fast and slow solar wind, and (b) if the mag-netotail is a source or a sink for the outer electron radiation belt.