Plasmaspheric depletion, refilling, and plasmapause  dynamics: A coordinated 
ground-based and IMAGE satellite study 

Z.C. Dent, I.R. Mann, J. Goldstein, F.W. Menk, and L.G. Ozeke 


This paper presents a coordinated ground-based magnetometer and IMAGE satellite
study of plasma mass density and plasmapause location on L shells between 2.39
and 6.54 throughout an extended interval of moderate geomagnetic activity from 5
to 17 May 2001. Storm-time plasmaspheric depletion is monitored using three
different data sets, and our results show the importance of local time history
effects on plasma depletion, including determining that shorter intervals of
enhanced convection do not necessarily cause all meridian sectors to be
depleted. Analysis of ground-based magnetometer derived mass density implies
that poststorm refilling is not a steady process through the dayside sector. Our
results also suggest that refilling may be a two-stage process, operating with a
much increased rate on the third day of clear refilling. Comparisons between
time- dependent ground-based magnetometer cross-phase and IMAGE RPI determined
plasma mass density profile evolution imply the presence of an enhanced heavy
ion population in the inner plasmatrough during an active refilling interval.
These results further demonstrate the potential of using ground-based
magnetometer data to study cold plasma dynamics.

_______________ 
Journal of Geophysical Research, 111, A03205, doi:10.1029/2005JA011046, 2006