Proton Equatorial Pitch Angle Distributions in Jupiter's Inner Magnetosphere

Equatorial electron density measurements in Saturn’s inner magnetosphere

Discovery of nitrogen in Saturn’s inner magnetosphere

[1] We detected N in Saturn’s magnetosphere in the range L 3.5 to 9.5 Saturn Radii (Rs) using data collected by the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer during Saturn Orbit Insertion and the following orbit (Rev A). The presence of N in Saturn’s magnetosphere has been a source of much debate since Voyager’s detection of unresolved mass/charge 14–16 amu ions in this region. Two principal nitrogen sources...

A study of magnetic drift motion of particles around the equatorial plasmapause by using the cluster observation

On August 7, 2003 the Cluster spacecraft moved through the dayside magnetosphere. The energetic particle spectrometer on board Cluster provided measurements of an extensive range of energy. Besides, satellite measurements of geomagnetic field showed a gradient magnetic field. It is known that an inhomogeneity of the magnetic field leads to a drift of charged particles. In this paper, the drift ...

Energy and pitch-angle dispersions of LLBL/cusp ions seen at middle altitudes: predictions by the open magnetosphere model

Numerical simulations are presented of the ion distribution functions seen by middle-altitude spacecraft in the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL) and cusp regions when reconnection is, or has recently been, taking place at the equatorial magnetopause. From the evolution of the distribution function with time elapsed since the ®eld line was opened, both the observed energy/observation-time and ...

Electron pitch angle distributions as indicators of magnetic field topology near Mars

[1] We have analyzed electron angular distributions recorded near Mars over a period of 7 years in order to constrain the topology of magnetic field lines near Mars. We used 63 million pitch angle distributions of 115 eV electrons measured at 400 km altitudes by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft and classified them according to their shape. Closed magnetic field lines are associated wit...