Study of Hot/Cold Plasma Interactions in the Post-Noon Sector

Burch, J. L.
Mitchell, D. G.
Brandt, P. C.
Sandel, B. R.
Gurgiolo, C.

The IMAGE spacecraft has obtained global images of the plasmasphere and ring
current during several magnetic storms. During these periods certain features
appear repeatedly along the plasmapause. These features include shoulders,
tails, fingers, and other structures involving local time gradients of cold
plasma densities. As the ring current builds up, it crosses these gradients,
providing opportunities, particularly in the post-noon sector, for the study
of hot-cold plasma interactions. Certain long-standing theories can be tested
with the IMAGE data, which have shown, for example, decreases of the energetic
neutral atom signature from the ring current that correspond to increases in
the cold plasma density. In this paper, several examples of such correlations
are presented in light of the theoretical predictions. 

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Submitted to the Spring 2001 AGU Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts