Articles | Volume 29, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/angeo-29-1517-2011
© Author(s) 2011. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.Observations of electron vorticity in the inner plasma sheet
Abstract. From a limited number of observations it appears that vorticity is a common feature in the inner plasma sheet. With the four Cluster spacecraft and the four PEACE instruments positioned in a tetrahedral configuration, for the first time it is possible to directly estimate the electron fluid vorticity in a space plasma. We show examples of electron fluid vorticity from multiple plasma sheet crossings. These include three time periods when Cluster passed through a reconnection ion diffusion region. Enhancements in vorticity are seen in association with each crossing of the ion diffusion region.