New Features of Electron Phase Space Holes Observed by the THEMIS Mission

L. Andersson (1) , R. E. Ergun (1) , J. Tao (1) , A. Roux (2) , O. Lecontel (2) , V. Angelopoulos (3) , J. Bonnell (4) , J. P. Mcfadden (4) , D. E. Larson (4) , S. Eriksson (1) , T. Johansson (1) , C. M. Cully (5) , D. N. Newman (1) , M. V. Goldman (1) , Karl-Heinz Glassmeier (6) , W. Baumjohann (7)

1 LASP - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics [Boulder]
2 CETP - Centre d'étude des environnements terrestre et planétaires
3 IGPP - Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics [Los Angeles]
4 SSL - Space Sciences Laboratory [Berkeley]
5 IRF - Swedish Institute of Space Physics [Uppsala / Kiruna]
6 Technische Universität Braunschweig = Technical University of Braunschweig [Braunschweig]
7 IWF - Institut für Weltraumforschung = Space Research institute [Graz]

Observations of electron phase-space holes (EHs) in Earth's plasma sheet by the THEMIS satellites include the first detection of a magnetic perturbation (δB∥) parallel to the ambient magnetic field (B0). EHs with a detectable δB∥ have several distinguishing features including large electric field amplitudes, a magnetic perturbation perpendicular to B0, high speeds (˜0.3c) along B0, and sizes along B0 of tens of Debye lengths. These EHs have a significant center potential (Φ˜kBTe/e), suggesting strongly nonlinear behavior nearby such as double layers or magnetic reconnection.

Domaines: Planète et Univers [physics]

L. Andersson, R. E. Ergun, J. Tao, A. Roux, O. Lecontel, et al.. New Features of Electron Phase Space Holes Observed by the THEMIS Mission. Physical Review Letters, 2009, 102, pp.225004. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.225004⟩. ⟨hal-00479935⟩