Articles | Volume 21, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-21-2043-2003
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-21-2043-2003
31 Oct 2003
 | 31 Oct 2003

Ion cyclotron waves in the Earth’s magnetotail during CASSINI’s Earth swing-by

A. T. Bogdanov, K.-H. Glassmeier, G. Musmann, M. K. Dougherty, S. Kellock, P. Slootweg, and B. Tsurutani

Abstract. The properties of low frequency magnetotail waves observed during CASSINI’s Earth swing-by are examined. A maximum in the distribution of the waves about half the proton cyclotron frequency and a peak at linear polarisation are found and their implications are analysed in detail. Data on the fluid plasma velocity for the observation interval are not available and thus no unique conclusions about Doppler shift influence on the properties of the waves can be made. This determines the need to analyse different hypotheses in order to understand the origin of the waves. The plausibility of competing interpretations, such as off-resonance proton cyclotron waves and bi-ion cyclotron waves at the gyrofrequency of a heavy ion component of the magneto-tail plasma in the form of He ++ ions of solar wind origin is questioned.

Key words. Space plasma physics (waves and instabilities) – Magnetospheric physics (plasma waves and instabilities; magnetotail)