Sources of Cold Dense Plasma Sheet:A Multi-Satellite, Multipoint Case Study

Taylor, M.G., Lavraud, B., Thomsen, M.F., Fazakerley, A.N., Dunlop, M.W., 
Davies, J.A., Frey, H., Friedel, R.H., Escoubet, C.P., Laakso, H., 
Bogdanova, Y.V., Carr, C.M., Khan, H., Lucek, E.A., Masson, A., Milan, S.E., 
Nykyri, K., Opgenoorth, H.J., Owen, C.J., Pitout, F., Pu, Z., Reme, H., 
Russell, C.T., Scudder, J.D., Shen, C., Sonnerup, B.U., Zhang, T., Zong, Q.


During conditions of northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), the near
tail plasma sheet is known to become denser and cooler, and is described as the
cold dense plasma sheet (CDPS). The source of this plasma is of great interest,
in particular, whether it is transferred to the magnetosphere via
poleward-of-cusp, lobe reconnection or via mechanisms at the flank magnetopause.
This paper addresses this question via a case study of data from the 5th
December 2004, utilizing a wide variety of spacecraft observations, including
ACE, Cluster, Double Star (TC-1 and TC-2), Polar, LANL GEO and IMAGE.
Conjunctions between various sub-sets of this multi-spacecraft constellation
enable a multi point investigation of magnetospheric dynamics related to CDPS
formation, including: The global reaction of the magnetosphere to the impact of
a coronal mass ejection (CME) related shock (Cluster, LANL GEO etc);
Observations of boundary layer waves at the flank magnetopause (TC-1) along with
non-wave like boundary layers (Polar); High-latitude observations of the CDPS
in the northern (TC-2) and southern (Polar) hemisphere; Evidence of
high-latitude, poleward-of-cusp reconnection (IMAGE, Polar). The pertinent
aspects of this study suggest that although there is evidence of large-scale
flank boundary waves and possible plasma-transfer, poleward-of-cusp reconnection
appears to produce sufficient CDPS like material.

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Fall Meeting, American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, U.S.A., 
5-9 December 2005