Review on the Characteristics of the Plasma/Current Sheet of the Earth’s Magnetotail

Abstract:

Since the plasma/current sheet of the Earth’s magnetotail may be a prototype of plasma/current sheet of the other planets in our solar system, it is important to examine the latest developments on the features of the plasma/current sheet determined from recent satellite missions. In particular, the Earth’s magnetotail has been and is surveyed by more satellite missions than the other planets. In this presentation, we shall review some features of the plasma/current sheet that were unknown in the early survey of this region. The implications of the new findings to the dynamics associated with magnetospheric disturbances are discussed.