• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2013

In this paper we examine a total of 16 dipolarization events that were observed by THEMIS spacecraft in space close to geosynchronous orbit, r < ${\sim}7\;R_E$. For the identified events, we examine the characteristics of the plasma flows and associated bubbles as defined based on $pV^{5/3}$, where p is the plasma pressure and V the volume of unit magnetic flux. First, we find that the flow speed in the near-geosynchronous region is very low, mostly within a few tens of km/s, except for a very few events for which the flow can rise up to ~200 km/s but only very near the dipolarization onset time. Second, the bubble parameter, $pV^{5/3}$, decreases by a much smaller factor after the dipolarization onset than for the events in the farther out tail region. We suggest that the magnetic dipolarization in the near-geosynchronous region generates or is associated with only very weak plasma bubbles. Such bubbles in the near-geosynchronous region would penetrate earthward only by a small distance before they stop at an equilibrium position or drift around the Earth.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.141-146
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• 2000

Some observational features on the July 5, 1995 substorm event are presented using the data from the Geotail satellite which was located at near-Earth plasma sheet, ${X}_{GSE}$ ∼ $-9.6R_{E}$, and quite close to the onset sector. Near-tail magnetic field reveals the typical dipolarizations starting ar ∼ 11-4 UT until ∼ 1113 UT. During the interval, two dipolarizations occur: First dipolarization is not strong and accompanies only weak(<150km/s) earthward/dawnward plasma flows, and in the second dipolarization that follows shortly, rather large amplitude magnetic fluctuations are seen, but it initiates with no significant earthward flow. The earthward bursty flow with a maximum speed of > 450km/s was observed, but delayed by ∼ 1 min with respect to the second dipolarization initiation. These features are in conflict with the flow-braking scenario for the substorm. Rather they fit better in the near-tail current disruption scenario.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2010.04a
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• pp.40.4-41
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• 2010

Using magnetic field and plasma moment data obtained by THEMIS satellites(A, D, and E), we selected 203 fast flow events accompanied by dipolarization in the near-Earth region( X(GSM) = -7 ~ -12 RE) and statistically examined their properties. It was found that most of the fast flows show the maximum velocity between 1 minute before dipolarization onset and 2 minutes after onset and proceed earthward and duskward. We also found that only the flows with low velocity of less than 400 km/s are observed at X > -8 RE, while the high velocity flows(as well as low velocity flows) are observed at the further tailward region(X < -8 RE). And most of the tailward flows are slow regardless of distance at X(GSM) = -7 ~ -12 RE. On the other hand, if we consider the fast flow as a bubble (Pontius and Wolf, 1990), the entropy parameter, PV5/3 is an important factor to describe the plasma sheet dynamics. Thus we investigated the relationship between the flow velocity and the amount of change in PV5/3 before and after dipolarization onset and found out that the dipolarizations with more depleted entropy parameter tend to show higher flow velocity. Also we examined how the magnetic field at geosynchronous orbit responds to the fast flow accompanied by dipolarization in the near-earth plasma sheet, using the measurements from GOES 11 and 12 statellites. We found that most of the fast flows do not reach geosynchronous orbit as suggested by Ohtani et al. (2006).

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.33.2-33.2
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• 2011

The anisotropic nature of the magnetic turbulence associated with magnetic dipolarizations in the Earth's plasma sheet is examined. Specifically we determine the power spectral indices for the perpendicular and parallel components of the fluctuating magnetic field with respect to the background magnetic field and compare them to determine possible anisotropic features. For this study, we identify a total of 47 dipolarization events from February 2008 using the magnetic field observations by the THEMIS A, D and E satellites when they are situated closely near the neutral sheet in the near-Earth tail. For the identified events, we estimate the spectral indices for the frequency range from 1.3 mHz to 42 mHz. The results show that for many events the spectral indices are larger for fluctuations in the ${\Psi}$ direction than for those in the other two directions, where the ${\Psi}$ direction is perpendicular to the background magnetic field line and to the azimuthal direction. This implies that the dipolarization-associated turbulence of the magnetic field is often anisotropic. We discuss how this result differs from what is expected from the theory of homogeneous, anisotropic, MHD turbulence.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.43-52
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• 2003

This paper reports a statistical study on the relationship between relativistic electron events(REE), magnetic storms, and substorms. We have used magnetic storm events that occurred between 1996 and 1998, and have classified them into two groups, (i) magnetic storms with REE and (ii) magnetic storms without REE, according to whether or not the magnetic storm is accompanied by REE. Then we have examined the characteristics of substorms that occurred during the main phase of each of the magnetic storms, and compared them between the two groups of the storms. In particular, we have made some quantitative estimations on the intensities of the energetic particle injections and magnetic dipolarizations during the substorm. We find that the injection intensity ratio and the magnetic dipolaization of the storm-time substorms are bigger for substorms with REE than for those without REE.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2011

In this paper, the anisotropic nature of the magnetic turbulence associated with magnetic dipolarizations in the Earth's plasma sheet is examined. Specifically, we determine the power spectral indices for the perpendicular and parallel components of the fluctuating magnetic field with respect to the background magnetic field, and compare them in order to identify possible anisotropic features. For this study, we identify a total of 47 dipolarization events in February 2008 using the magnetic field data observed by the THEMIS A, D and E satellites when they are situated near the neutral sheet in the near-Earth tail. For the identified events, we estimate the spectral indices for the frequency range from 1.3 mHz to 42 mHz. The results show that the degree of anisotropy, as defined by the ratio of the spectral index of the perpendicular components to that of the parallel component, can range from ~0.2 to ~2.6, and there are more events associated with the ratio greater than unity (i.e., the perpendicular index being greater than the parallel index) than those which are anisotropic in the opposite sense. This implies that the dipolarization-associated turbulence of the magnetic field is often anisotropic, to some non-negligible degree. We then discuss how this result differs from what the theory of homogeneous, anisotropic, magnetohydrodynamic turbulence would predict.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.451-466
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• 2009

While substorms are known to generally occur under southward IMF conditions, they can sometimes occur even under northward IMF conditions. In this paper, we studied the substorms that occurred in May, 2000 to 2002 to examine some statistical characteristics of the IMF and solar wind associated with northward IMF substorms. We focused on the cases where two or more substorms occurred successively under northward IMF conditions. Also, by checking Sym-H index associated with each of the substorms we determined whether or not there is any association of such northward IMF substorm occurrence with storm times. We also examined statistical properties at geosynchronous altitude in terms of magnetic field dipolarization and energetic particle injection. The following results were obtained. (i) Most of the northward IMF substorms occurred under average solar wind conditions. The majority of them occurred within 2 hrs duration of northward IMF Bz state, but there are also a nonnegligible number of substorms that occurred after a longer duraiton of northward IMF Bz state. (ii) While most of the substorms occurred as isolated from a magnetic storm time, those that occurred in a magnetic storm time show a higher average value of IMF and solar wind than that for the isolated substorms. (iii) About 55% of the substorms were associated with the IMF clock angle that can possibly allow dayside reconnection, and the other 45% were associated with more or less pure northward IMF conditions. Therefore, for the latter cases, the energy input from the solar wind into the magnetosphere should be made by other way than the dayside reconnection. (iv) For most of the substorms, the magnetic field dipolarizations and energetic particle injections at geosynchronous altitude were identified to be generally weak. But, several events indicated strong magnetic field dipolarizations and energetic particle injections.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2011.04a
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• pp.29.1-29.1
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• 2011

The magnetic dipolarizations at the tail are often, if not always, associated with plasma flows of some magnitude. The associated flow direction is known to be earthward most often but not necessarily always. It is the primary goal of this paper to clarify the association between dipolarizations and the associated flow characteristics in general, but with a primary emphasis on tailward flow cases. Based on a number of dipolarizations that we identify at the near-Earth tail using the THEMIS tail observations we first confirm that dipolarizations can in general initiate in association with both earthward and tailward flows. Also, the main direction of the plasma flow, whether being earthward or tailward, is not critical in determining the intensity of the dipolarizations. We actually identify some events of tailward flow-associated dipolarizations that are as much intense as the earthward flow-associated events. The occurrence rate of the tailward flow-associated dipolarizations is mainly concentrated in the radial region of < 10 RE and in the local time region of 22-01 hr. However, its relative occurrence rate is rather low, ~19 % in the radial region and ~15.3 % in the local time region, as compared to that for the events associated with all other types of flows. Furthermore, the flow direction often changes no matter whether it is initially earthward or tailward near the onset time. As a consequence, the net transport of the magnetic flux during the main duration of the dipolarization process is earthward for nearly all of the dipolarizations that initiate with dominantly tailward flows near the onset, as is the case for those that initiate with dominantly earthward flows.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.217-226
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• 2006

We report three sawtooth oscillation events observed at geosynchronous orbit where we find quasi-periodic (every 2-3 hours) sudden flux increases followed by slow flux decreases at the energy levels of ${\sim}50-400keV$. For these three sawtooth events, we have examined variations of the outer boundary of the outer radiation belt. In order to determine L values of the outer boundary, we have used data of relativistic electron flux observed by the SAMPEX satellite. We find that the outer boundary of the outer radiation belt oscillates periodically being consistent with sawtooth oscillation phases. Specifically, the outer boundary of the outer radiation belt expands (namely, the boundary L value increases) following the sawtooth particle flux enhancement of each tooth, and then contracts (namely, the boundary L value decreases) while the sawtooth flux decreases gradually until the next flux enhancement. On the other hand, it is repeatedly seen that the asymmetry of the magnetic field intensity between dayside and nightside decreases (increases) due to the dipolarization (the stretching) on the nightside as the sawtooth flux increases (decreases). This implies that the periodic magnetic field variations during the sawtooth oscillations are likely responsible for the expansion-contraction oscillations of the outer boundary of the outer radiation belt.