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Transient, small-scale field-aligned currents in the plasma sheet boundary layer during storm time substorms.

ABSTRACT: 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 23 June 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 tens of kilometers, which are 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 multiscale processes in PSBL as a consequence of magnetotail reconnection.

SUBMITTER: Nakamura R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5111425 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Transient, small-scale field-aligned currents in the plasma sheet boundary layer during storm time substorms.

Nakamura R R   Sergeev V A VA   Baumjohann W W   Plaschke F F   Magnes W W   Fischer D D   Varsani A A   Schmid D D   Nakamura T K M TK   Russell C T CT   Strangeway R J RJ   Leinweber H K HK   Le G G   Bromund K R KR   Pollock C J CJ   Giles B L BL   Dorelli J C JC   Gershman D J DJ   Paterson W W   Avanov L A LA   Fuselier S A SA   Genestreti K K   Burch J L JL   Torbert R B RB   Chutter M M   Argall M R MR   Anderson B J BJ   Lindqvist P-A PA   Marklund G T GT   Khotyaintsev Y V YV   Mauk B H BH   Cohen I J IJ   Baker D N DN   Jaynes A N AN   Ergun R E RE   Singer H J HJ   Slavin J A JA   Kepko E L EL   Moore T E TE   Lavraud B B   Coffey V V   Saito Y Y  

Geophysical research letters 20160530 10

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 23 June 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 tens of kilometers, which are well below the ion scale, on flux tub  ...[more]