Estimates of magnetotail reconnection rate based on IMAGE FUV and EISCAT measurements

• Main Authors: N. Østgaard, J. Moen, S. B. Mende, H. U. Frey, T. J. Immel, P. Gallop, K. Oksavik, M. Fujimoto
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Svalbard; Tromsø; EISCAT
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.210.1328; http://www.ann-geophys.net/23/123/2005/angeo-23-123-2005.pdf

Abstract. Dayside merging between the interplanetary and terrestrial magnetic fields couples the solar wind electric field to the Earth’s magnetosphere, increases the magnetospheric convection and results in efficient transport of solar wind energy into the magnetosphere. Subsequent reconnection of the lobe magnetic field in the magnetotail transports energy into the closed magnetic field region. Combining global imaging and ground-based radar measurements, we estimate the reconnection rate in the magnetotail during two days of an EISCAT campaign in November-December 2000. Global images from the IMAGE FUV system guide us to identify ionospheric signatures of the open-closed field line boundary observed by the two EISCAT radars in Tromsø (VHF) and on Svalbard (ESR). Continuous radar and optical monitoring of the open-closed field line boundary is used to determine