La. Frank et al., OBSERVATIONS OF PLASMAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAGNETIC SIGNATURE OF A PLASMOID IN THE DISTANT MAGNETOTAIL, Geophysical research letters, 21(25), 1994, pp. 2967-2970
The three-dimensional electron and positive ion velocity distributions
were examined for four events for which the magnetic signature of pla
smoids occurred at the Geotail spacecraft position in Earth's distant
magnetotail. The proton bulk parameters and the electron velocity dist
ributions for one of the events are presented in order to characterize
the qualitative character of the set of events. The north-to-south tu
rnings of the magnetic field that were taken for evidence of the passa
ge of a plasmoid were often accompanied by a significant strong core o
f B-y that was centered on the transition of B-z from north to south.
The magnetic signatures thus appeared to be more indicative of flux ro
pes than of classical plasmoids with weak core fields. The proton and
electron bulk velocities in these magnetic structures are not equal, a
situation that provides an earthward current. The plasma beta was typ
ically one or greater. Counterstreaming of low-energy electrons was of
ten found on the magnetic field lines around the central magnetic core
and suggested the existence of a closed field line topology in these
regions. These events appeared to be the tailward flowing debris from
acceleration processes occurring in the vicinity of a separator positi
oned nearer to Earth.