Causal Connections Between the Magnetotail and Inner Magnetosphere: Imaging and In Situ Constellation Observations During Moderate to Large Geomagnetic Storms

Goldstein, Jerry

Causal Connections Between the Magnetotail and Inner Magnetosphere: Imaging and In Situ Constellation Observations During Moderate to Large Geomagnetic Storms

Thursday, October 1, 2015: 9:10 AM

Jerry Goldstein^1,2, James L Burch¹, Philip W Valek^1,2, David J McComas^1,2, Joseph D Perez³, Mei-Ching Hannah Fok⁴ and Natalia Buzulukova⁴, (1)Southwest Research Institute San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States, (2)University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Physics & Astronomy, San Antonio, TX, United States, (3)Auburn University, Physics Department, Auburn, AL, United States, (4)NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States

Abstract:

This study uses cross-scale (imaging and in situ constellation) observations to investigate causal connections between the magnetotail and inner magnetosphere. The Two Wide-angle Imaging Neutral-atom Spectrometers (TWINS) mission flies two spacecraft on separate Molniya orbits to achieve stereo energetic neutral atom (ENA) imaging of the Earth’s magnetosphere. The Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) mission consists of three satellites, each with in-situ particle and field detectors. The two Van Allen Probes measure in situ plasma (including ion composition) and fields. The recently launched Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) comprises four spacecraft that have just begun to measure particles (including ion composition) and fields in the magnetotail where reconnection occurs. We analyze multi-scale observations and self-consistent simulations of ion energy, composition, and pitch angle during a short list of moderate to large geomagnetic storms (including the recent approximately -200 nT storm on 17 March 2015), to determine how nightside disturbances propagate inward from the magnetotail to energize the global ring current.