Downward current electron beam observed by Cluster and FAST

Andrew N. Wright, Christopher J. Owen, Christopher C. Chaston, Malcolm W. Dunlop

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

[1] We report observations from a conjunction of FAST and Cluster during an interval of downward current at an MLT of 3-4 h on field lines mapping to the PSBL. Both spacecraft see upgoing electrons with an energy of a few hundred eV, suggesting substantial acceleration has occurred below FAST's altitude of 3200 km. At Cluster, isolated bursts of electrons are seen, and modeling indicates that the current mapped from the ionosphere exists as a collection of current filaments at Cluster (4-5 R-E). The current filaments are aligned with the background magnetic field and have a perpendicular scale at Cluster of about 100 km (which maps to 10-20 km in the ionosphere), and is similar to the mapped width observed by FAST. The electron beams are quasi-steady during a Cluster spacecraft transit time of 1 min. The field aligned current densities at FAST and Cluster are of the order of a few mu Ams(-2) and 0.05 mu Am-2, respectively, and j/B is conserved along a current filament.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberA06202
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Geophysical Research
Volume113
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Jun 2008

Keywords

  • AURORAL CURRENT REGION
  • SCALE ULF WAVE
  • TEMPORAL EVOLUTION
  • FIELDS
  • SECTOR
  • ARCS

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