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Ann. Geophys., 23, 2921-2927, 2005
www.ann-geophys.net/23/2921/2005/
© European Geosciences Union 2005
Observation of reconnection pulses by Cluster and Double Star
X. H. Deng1, R. X. Tang1, R. Nakamura2, W. Baumjohann2, T. L. Zhang2, P. W. Daly3, H. Rème4, C. M. Carr5, A. Balogh5, Z. X. Liu6, and J. F. Wang1
1Institute of Electronics and Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430079, P. R. China
2Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, 8042 Graz, Austria
3Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, 37 191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany
4Centre d’Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, 31 028 Toulouse, Cedex 4, France
5Space and Atmospheric Phys. Group, Blackett Lab., Imperial College, London SW72BZ, UK
6Center for Space Science and Applied Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, P. R. of China
Abstract. During a reconnection event on 7 August 2004, Cluster and Double Star (TC-1)
were near the neutral sheet and simultaneously detected the signatures of
the reconnection pulses. AT 22:59 UT tailward flow followed by earthward flow
was detected by Cluster at about 15 RE, while earthward plasma flow followed
by tailward flow was observed by TC-1 at about 10 RE. During the flow
reversal from tailward to earthward, the magnetic field Bz changed
sign from mainly negative values to positive, and the X component of the
magnetic curvature vector switched sign from the tailward direction to the earthward
direction, which indicates that the reconnection site (X-line) moved
tailward past the Cluster constellation. By using multi-point analysis and
observation of energetic electron and ion flux, we study the movement and
structure of the current sheet and discuss the braking effect of the earthward
flow bursts in the inner magnetosphere.
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