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Ann. Geophys., 23, 2897-2901, 2005
www.ann-geophys.net/23/2897/2005/
doi:10.5194/angeo-23-2897-2005
© European Geosciences Union 2005


Multiple flux rope events at the magnetopause observations by TC-1 on 18 March 2004

C. J. Xiao1, Z. Y. Pu2, Y. Wei3, Z. X. Liu4, C. M. Carr5, T. L. Zhang6, K.-H. Glassmeier7, H. Rème8, I. Dandouras8, and P. Daly9
1National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100012, China
2School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
3Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100029, China
4Center of Space Science and Applied Research, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100080, China
5Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, UK
6Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, 8042 Graz, Austria
7IGEP, Technical University of Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
8CESR (Centre d’Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements), 31028 Toulouse, France
9Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany

Abstract. From 23:10 to 23:50 UT on 18 March 2004, the Double Star TC-1 spacecraft detected eight flux ropes at the outbound crossing of the southern dawnside magnetopause. A notable guide field existed inside all ropes. In the mean time the Cluster spacecraft were staying in the magnetosheath and found that the events occurred under the condition of southward IMF Bz and dominant negative IMF By. There are six ropes that appeared quasi-periodically, with a repeated period being approximately 1-4 min. The last flux rope lasts for a longer time interval with a larger peak in the BN variations; it can thus be referred to as a typical FTE. The 18 March 2004 event is quite similar to the multiple flux rope event observed by Cluster on 26 January 2001 at the northern duskside high-latitude magnetopause. A detailed comparison of these two events is made in the paper. Preliminary studies imply that both of these multiple flux ropes events seem to be produced by component reconnection at the dayside low-latitude magnetopause.

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Citation: Xiao, C. J., Pu, Z. Y., Wei, Y., Liu, Z. X., Carr, C. M., Zhang, T. L., Glassmeier, K.-H., Rème, H., Dandouras, I., and Daly, P.: Multiple flux rope events at the magnetopause observations by TC-1 on 18 March 2004, Ann. Geophys., 23, 2897-2901, doi:10.5194/angeo-23-2897-2005, 2005.   Bibtex   EndNote   Reference Manager    XML
 

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