Fear, RC; Fazakerley, AN; Owen, CJ; Lucek, EA; (2005) A survey of flux transfer events observed by Cluster during strongly northward IMF. Geophysical Research Letters , 32 (18) , Article L18105. 10.1029/2005GL023811.

Preview

PDF 2005GL023811.pdf Available under License : See the attached licence file. Download (269kB)

Abstract

During Cluster's annual dayside seasons (November June) the four spacecraft cross the magnetopause at high latitudes near local noon, and at lower latitudes further along the flanks. During these crossings, observations of flux transfer events (FTEs), a signature of transient or variable-rate magnetopause merging, are often made. We have compiled a survey of FTEs observed by Cluster in the 2002/3 dayside season. A significant number of FTEs, presented here, were observed under strongly northward IMF. Multi-spacecraft techniques enable more accurate velocities to be calculated than previously possible. The observed velocities are consistent with a long, component merging X-line emanating from the antiparallel merging site in the lobe, but require a relaxation of the antiparallel merging hypothesis to allow the X-line to extend to regions of lower shear on the flank. The velocities observed at lower latitudes are not consistent with a subsolar X-line.

Download activity - last month

Export as CSVXMLJSON

Download activity - last 12 months

Export as JSONXMLCSV

Downloads by country - last 12 months

Export as JSONXMLCSV

Archive Staff Only

View Item