MAGNETOSPHERIC DYNAMICS AND MASS-FLOW DURING THE NOVEMBER 1993 STORM

The National Space Weather Program (NSWP) Storm that occurred in Novem ber 1993 is examined with the use of plasma and energetic-particle mea surements on three satellites in geosynchronous orbit. Geosynchronous orbit affords a powerful perspective on magnetospheric dynamics since both tail and dipole processes can be regularly seen, as well as night side and dayside processes. The major magnetospheric regions analyzed before, during, and after this storm are the outer plasmasphere, the i on plasma sheet, the electron plasma sheet, and the outer electron rad iation belt. Ionospheric outflows into the magnetosphere are also obse rved, and during the storm the magnetosheath and the low-latitude boun dary layer are both seen briefly. The geosynchronous observations indi cate that prior to the storm the magnetosphere was very quiet and the outer plasmasphere was filled out to beyond geosynchronous orbit. Extr emely large anisotropies were seen in the ion plasma sheet during a co mpression phase just prior to storm onset. During the storm's main pha se the drainage of the outer plasmasphere to the dayside magnetopause was observed, a superdense ion plasma sheet was tracked moving around the dipole, and a superdense electron plasma sheet was seen. The anoma lousIy large plasma pressure on the nightside led to a beta > 1 situat ion at geosynchronous orbit. The beta > 1 region spread around the dip ole with the superdense ion plasma sheet. The magnetic-field tilt angl e at geosynchronous orbit indicated that strong cross-tail currents we re present very near the Earth. These currents appear to be associated with plasma diamagnetism. Geosynchronous observations indicate that m agnetospheric convection was extremely strong. In the electron plasma sheet, severe spacecraft charging occurred. The density of relativisti c electrons was observed to peak very early in the storm, whereas the flux of these relativistic electrons peaked much later in the aftermat h of the storm.