Publikationsdatum:
2016-05-12
Beschreibung:
We report on field-aligned current observations by the four Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft near the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) during two major substorms on June 23, 2015. Small-scale field-aligned currents were found embedded in fluctuating PSBL flux tubes near the separatrix region. We resolve, for the first time, short-lived Earthward (downward) intense field-aligned current sheets with thicknesses of a few 10s of km, which is well below the ion-scale, on flux tubes moving equatorward/Earthward during outward plasma sheet expansion. They coincide with upward field-aligned electron beams with energies of a few hundred eV. These electrons are most likely due to acceleration associated with a reconnection jet or high-energy ion beam-produced disturbances. The observations highlight coupling of multi-scale processes in PSBL as a consequence of magnetotail reconnection.
Print ISSN:
0094-8276
Digitale ISSN:
1944-8007
Thema:
Geologie und Paläontologie
,
Physik
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