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Plasmoids in Saturn's magnetotail

Plasmoids in Saturn's magnetotail
Plasmoids in Saturn's magnetotail

Plasmoids in Saturn's magnetotail are identified by a reversal (northward turning) of the normally southward component of the magnetic field across the tail current sheet. Three large plasmoids have been identified by the Cassini magnetometer, one near 0300 local time at a planet-centered distance of 44 RS and two near midnight at 48-49 RS. (RS ≈60,300 km is Saturn's equatorial radius.) Two of these events, including in particular the 0300 event, coincided with current-sheet crossings by the spacecraft and thus provided sufficient plasma fluxes to determine ion composition and velocity moments from Cassini Plasma Spectrometer data. The composition was largely dominated by water-group ions, indicating an inner-magnetosphere source. The flow was subcorotational and strongly tailward, as expected for a plasmoid. Just before the in situ detection of the 0300 plasmoid, the Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument observed an outburst of energetic neutral atoms emanating from a location midway between Saturn and Cassini, probably a signature of the reconnection event that spawned the plasmoid.

2169-9380
Hill, T.W.
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Thomsen, M.F.
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Henderson, M.G.
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Tokar, R.L.
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Coates, A.J.
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McAndrews, H.J.
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Lewis, G.R.
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Mitchell, D.G.
a839f799-dbba-476e-a99f-24247ea2b2ca
Jackman, C.M.
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Russell, C.T.
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Dougherty, M.K.
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Crary, F.J.
43ea810b-5052-4341-854a-4a891f104051
Young, D.T.
72205909-7b41-4c6e-9777-4e953bc2a0b2
Hill, T.W.
8627ecb2-6e74-447e-99e7-ab68cd86ab9a
Thomsen, M.F.
d0ea3839-9090-4fd7-84b1-d8b4162fce5d
Henderson, M.G.
8b14c275-d7ff-47f7-ad8f-7189b6d2e152
Tokar, R.L.
8213ad4b-5b3b-46b1-90ad-334b61c2d79c
Coates, A.J.
61022799-2e2b-46da-a964-23d9aaebe455
McAndrews, H.J.
0e419a05-f21c-413e-9913-462fc341171b
Lewis, G.R.
82ee88ed-c8ae-4aa4-baa5-d60b223f4f90
Mitchell, D.G.
a839f799-dbba-476e-a99f-24247ea2b2ca
Jackman, C.M.
9bc3456c-b254-48f1-ade0-912c5b8b4529
Russell, C.T.
0beb88bf-9d0e-4b75-80ae-61ba3776ce59
Dougherty, M.K.
aa297043-7e86-4501-952b-a6363edaaba8
Crary, F.J.
43ea810b-5052-4341-854a-4a891f104051
Young, D.T.
72205909-7b41-4c6e-9777-4e953bc2a0b2

Hill, T.W., Thomsen, M.F., Henderson, M.G., Tokar, R.L., Coates, A.J., McAndrews, H.J., Lewis, G.R., Mitchell, D.G., Jackman, C.M., Russell, C.T., Dougherty, M.K., Crary, F.J. and Young, D.T. (2008) Plasmoids in Saturn's magnetotail. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 113 (A1), [A01214]. (doi:10.1029/2007JA012626).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Plasmoids in Saturn's magnetotail are identified by a reversal (northward turning) of the normally southward component of the magnetic field across the tail current sheet. Three large plasmoids have been identified by the Cassini magnetometer, one near 0300 local time at a planet-centered distance of 44 RS and two near midnight at 48-49 RS. (RS ≈60,300 km is Saturn's equatorial radius.) Two of these events, including in particular the 0300 event, coincided with current-sheet crossings by the spacecraft and thus provided sufficient plasma fluxes to determine ion composition and velocity moments from Cassini Plasma Spectrometer data. The composition was largely dominated by water-group ions, indicating an inner-magnetosphere source. The flow was subcorotational and strongly tailward, as expected for a plasmoid. Just before the in situ detection of the 0300 plasmoid, the Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument observed an outburst of energetic neutral atoms emanating from a location midway between Saturn and Cassini, probably a signature of the reconnection event that spawned the plasmoid.

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Published date: 1 January 2008

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 437133
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/437133
ISSN: 2169-9380
PURE UUID: 9060cc06-cb3c-4582-b6ba-2e178a6b85b1
ORCID for C.M. Jackman: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0635-7361

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Date deposited: 17 Jan 2020 17:35
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 05:42

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Contributors

Author: T.W. Hill
Author: M.F. Thomsen
Author: M.G. Henderson
Author: R.L. Tokar
Author: A.J. Coates
Author: H.J. McAndrews
Author: G.R. Lewis
Author: D.G. Mitchell
Author: C.M. Jackman ORCID iD
Author: C.T. Russell
Author: M.K. Dougherty
Author: F.J. Crary
Author: D.T. Young

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