The Hall current system revealed as a statistical significant pattern during fast flows
Type
Journal article; Peer reviewedPeer reviewed
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Date
2008-11-05
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We have examined the dawn-dusk component of
the magnetic field, BY , in the night side current sheet during
fast flows in the neutral sheet. 237 h of Cluster data from
the plasma sheet between 2 August 2002 and 2 October 2002
have been analysed. The spatial pattern of BY as a function of
the distance from the centre of the current sheet has been estimated
by using a Harris current sheet model. We have used
the average slopes of these patterns to estimate earthward and
tailward currents. For earthward fast flows there is a tailward
current in the inner central plasma sheet and an earthward
current in the outer central plasma sheet on average. For tailward
fast flows the currents are oppositely directed. These
observations are interpreted as signatures of Hall currents in
the reconnection region or as field aligned currents which are
connected with these currents. Although fast flows often are
associated with a dawn-dusk current wedge, we believe that
we have managed to filter out such currents from our statistical
patterns.
Citation
Annales Geophysicae 26(11): 3429-3437Publisher
European Geosciences UnionSubject
Magnetospheric physicsCollections
European Geosciences Union