Characteristics of magnetic dipolarizations in the vicinity of the substorm onset region observed by THEMIS

With conjunction observations of electromagnetic fields and plasma from Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorm(THEMIS)in the near-Earth magnetotail,we investigate the spatial and temporal properties of substorm dipolarizations in the near-Earth plasma sheet(NEPS)during a substorm at 03:23 UT on 12 February 2008.Substorm dipolarizations with different features are detected by three near-Earth THEMIS probes(THA(P5),THD(P3)and THE(P4))in the magnetotail.In the current sheet with a large plasma beta value(β>2,whereβis the ratio of the plasma thermal pressure to the magnetic pressure),the dipolarization within the substorm onset region,(−10.4,2.8,−2.6)RE_gsm,has a large initial magnetic field elevation angle,θ>60°,θ=arctan(Bz/(Bx2+By2)1/2),and is accompanied by energetic ion(tens to hundred keV)dispersionless injection detected by THD(P3).This substorm onset dipolarization is characterized by Bx and By components around 0 nT with significant fluctuations.The Bz component increases sharply and its subsequent magnitude approaches the total magnetic field,Bt.The maximum value of the elevation angle approaches 85°during the later substorm expansion phase.In the NEPS withβ~1,the dipolarization outside the substorm onset region is characterized by a magnetic elevation angle with a small beginning value ofθ<45°and following multi-step enhancements during the substorm expansion phase.The maximum value of the elevation angle approaches to 70°during the later substorm expansion phase.Our observation results indicate that characteristics of dipolarization with a large beginning elevation angle within the substorm onset region provide a new indicator to identify substorm onset location.

Ion flux dropout observed near dipolarization front

An ion flux dropout near the dipolarization front(DF) at around XGSM=-11 REin the Earth's plasma sheet was observed by Time History of Events and Macroscale Interaction during substorms(THEMIS) on March31, 2009. The ion differential energy fluxes at energies from 450 e V to 150 ke V measured by the ESA and SST instruments from THC began to decrease about 2 s before the detection of the DF and reached a local minimum 6 s later. Then, the ion fluxes gradually increased to form a dropout around the DF. The spatial extent of the dropout was about 4,000 km. For energies above 20 ke V, the ion fluxes after the dropout are greater than those before it,contrary to the fluxes at energies below 20 ke V. The associated ion density variation indicates that the ion flux dropout coincides with the ion density dropout. Taking advantage of multipoint observations, THD, THC, and THE detected the same DF consecutively. Only THC detected an obvious ion flux dropout; THD observed an indistinct one about 2 s before THC; no high-energy(E [ 30 ke V) ion flux dropout was observed by THE. Our study suggests that the ion flux dropout may evolve withthe earthward-propagating DF, and its properties can depend on locations relative to the DF.