DOI

The origin of multiple energetic particle injections into the inner magnetosphere is addressed using a rare opportunity of measuring the energetic particle fluxes at different radial distances under known electric and magnetic fields. During a strong substorm on February 10, 1991, the CRRES spacecraft measured E and B fields and high-energy particle fluxes near the magnetic equator at r similar to 5 R-e, whereas particle injections, their azimuthal locations, and some other parameters were simultaneously monitored by three geostationary spacecraft and ground networks. We show a multitude of impulsive short-duration injection events which correlate with 1-2 min long pulses of dawn-dusk electric field. The observations suggest that some E field pulses recorded deep in the inner magnetosphere were fast magnetosonic waves radiated by the current disruption region. This supports the concept of impulsive dissipation event as an elementary building block of substorm expansion. Furthermore, our modeling results indicate that most of the flux variations of energetic particles can be explained by the global convective transport and corresponding particle acceleration. However, we emphasize that, depending on particle spectra and radial flux gradient, one can observe either flux increase, or decrease, or no variation (often seen in different energy ranges simultaneously and at the same point) as a response to the electric field pulse. Both the cloud of injected particles and magnetic field dipolarization region had a sharp inner boundary (injection front) which propagated inward at the convection speed. We document the complicated structure of this front, consisting of a diamagnetic hot proton layer followed by the dipolarixation front which contains enhanced energetic electron fluxes. Further study is required to understand hom common this structure is and, if common, how it may be formed.

Язык оригиналаАнглийский
Страницы (с-по)9217-9234
Число страниц18
ЖурналJOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICS
Том103
Номер выпускаA5
DOI
СостояниеОпубликовано - 1 мая 1998

ID: 36633725