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Ann. Geophys., 20, 445-460, 2002
www.ann-geophys.net/20/445/2002/
© European Geosciences Union 2002
Energetic particle observations at the subsolar magnetopause
A. A. Eccles and T. A. Fritz
Boston University Center for Space Physics, Boston MA, USA
Correspondence to: T. A. Fritz (fritz@bu.edu)
Abstract. The pitch-angle distributions (PAD) of
energetic particles are examined as the ISEE-1 satellite crosses the Earth’s
magnetopause near the subsolar point. The investigation focuses on the possible
existence of a particular type of distribution that would be associated with a
source of energetic particles in the high-latitude magnetosphere. PADs,
demonstrating broad, persistent field-aligned fluxes filling a single
hemisphere (upper/northern or lower/southern), were observed just sunward of
the magnetopause current layer for an extended period of many minutes. These
distributions are a direct prediction of a possible source of energetic
particles located in the high altitude dayside cusp and we present five
examples in detail of the three-dimensional particle distributions to
demonstrate their existence. From these results, other possible causes of such
PADs are examined.
Key words. Magnetospheric physics (energetic
particles, precipitating; magnetopause, cusp and boundary layers;
magnetospheric configuration and dynamics)
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