Energy time dispersion of a new class of magnetospheric ion events observed near the Earth’s bow shock
We have analyzed high time resolution (≥6 s) data during the onset and the decay phase of several energetic (≥35 keV) ion events observed near the Earth’s bow shock by the CCE/AMPTE and IMP-7/8 spacecraft, during times of intense substorm/geomagnetic activity. We found that forward energy dispersion at the onset of events (earlier increase of middle energy ions) and/or a delayed fall of the middle energy ion fluxes at the end of events are often evident in high time resolution data. The energy spectra at the onset and the decay of this kind of events show a characteristic hump at middle (50–120 keV) energies and the angular distributions display either anisotropic or broad forms. The time scale of energy dispersion in the ion events examined was found to range from several seconds to ∼1 h depending on the ion energies compared and on the rate of variation of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) direction. Several canditate processes are discussed to explain the observations and it is suggested that a rigidity dependent transport process of magnetospheric particles within the magnetosheath is most probably responsible for the detection of this new type of near bow shock magnetospheric ion events. The new class of ion events was observed within both the magnetosheath and the upstream region.
Spatial distribution of upstream magnetospheric ≥50 keV ions
We present for the first time a statistical study of ≥50 keV ion events of a magnetospheric origin upstream from Earth’s bow shock. The statistical analysis of the 50–220 keV ion events observed by the IMP-8 spacecraft shows: (1) a dawn-dusk asymmetry in ion distributions, with most events and lower intensities upstream from the quasi-parallel pre-dawn side (4 LT-6 LT) of the bow shock, (2) highest ion fluxes upstream from the nose/dusk side of the bow shock under an almost radial interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) configuration, and (3) a positive correlation of the ion intensities with the solar wind speed and the index of geomagnetic index Kp, with an average solar wind speed as high as 620 km s−1 and values of the index Kp ≫ 2. The statistical results are consistent with (1) preferential leakage of ∼50 keV magnetospheric ions from the dusk magnetopause, (2) nearly scatter free motion of ∼50 keV ions within the magnetosheath, and (3) final escape of magnetospheric ions from the quasi-parallel dawn side of the bow shock. An additional statistical analysis of higher energy (290–500 keV) upstream ion events also shows a dawn-dusk asymmetry in the occurrence frequency of these events, with the occurrence frequency ranging between ∼16%-∼34% in the upstream region.
A burst of energetic O+ ions during an upstream particle event
During an extended energetic particle event upstream of the earth's bow shock on September 5, 1984, a brief burst of energetic O/sup +/ ions have been observed using the time-of-flight spectrometer SULEICA on the AMPTE/IRM spacecraft. The event occurred during very active geomagnetic conditions. The onset of the O/sup +/ event coincides with a brief electron burst. O/sup +/ is predominantly streaming into the sunward direction, while the H/sup +/ and He/sup 2 +/ ions exhibit a net flow toward the bow shock with a second order anisotropy perpendicular to the interplanetary magnetic field (which was almost radial throughout the whole event). The energy spectrum of O/sup +/ is significantly harder than those of H/sup +/, He/sup 2 +/ and CNO (Q>2). The observations of two particle populations, different in temporal evolution, anisotropies and energy spectra, are discussed in terms of bow shock accelerated ions over the entire time period accompanied by a brief injection of magnetospheric particles.