signature=87268cb5c1a488e12c3dfb109f6f6a6a,Signature of tail current disruption in the near-Earth pl...

Abstract

We investigate a sequential dipolarization event in the near-Earth plasma sheet observed by the GEOTAIL satellite on August 31, 1999, at (Xgsm, Ygsm)=(-8.3 Re, -5.1 Re), using high-time-resolution data of a fluxgate magnetometer (16-Hz sample), a search-coil magnetometer (128 Hz), and electric field (64 Hz). Two dipolarizations were observed during a short time interval of 3 min. The elevation angles of magnetic field suddenly decreased 2-4 s prior to the dipolarization. Using high-time resolution magnetic and electric field data, we found characteristic field oscillations with frequencies of 5-20 Hz and amplitudes of 1-3 mV/m at the time of the sudden decrease of elevation angle. We suggest that the sudden decrease of elevation angles prior to the dipolarization is a signature of tail current disruption, which is caused by the observed characteristic field oscillations.