ENERGIZATION OF IONS IN NEAR-EARTH CURRENT SHEET DISRUPTIONS

In this study we examine observations made by AMPTE/CCE of energetic i on bursts during seven substorm periods when the satellite was located near the neutral sheet, and CCE observed the disruption cross-tail cu rrent in situ. We compare ion observations to analytic calculations of particle acceleration. We find that the acceleration region size, whi ch we assume to be essentially the current disruption region, to be on the order of 1 R(E). Events exhibiting weak acceleration had either r elatively small acceleration regions (apparently associated with pseud obreakup activity on the ground) or relatively small changes in the lo cal magnetic field (suggesting that the magnitude of the local current disruption was limited). These results add additional support for the view that the particle bursts observed during turbulent current sheet disruptions are due to inductive acceleration of ions.