Characterization of low frequency oscillations at substorm breakup

Abstract

Field and particle data recorded on the geostationary satellite GEOS 2 are used to investigate the electric and magnetic signatures of a substorm characterized by a dispersionless injection of energetic electrons and ions. Three types of field variations are observed: (1) Long‐period oscillations with period of ∼ 300 s, interpreted as oscillations of entire field lines. These oscillations develop as second harmonic standing waves and correspond to coupled shear Alfvén‐slow magnetosonic modes. They grow after the most active period of the breakup. (2) Short‐period transient oscillations with periods of ∼ 45–65 s, interpreted as wave modes trapped in a current layer which develops prior to the substorm breakup and is disrupted at breakup. These oscillations also correspond to a coupled shear Alfvén‐slow magnetosonic mode (coupled via magnetic field curvature effects in a high‐β plasma). The short‐period transient oscillations are only observed during the most active period of the breakup. (3) A nonoscillatory sharp increase observed on both the parallel magnetic component and the energetic ion flux, averaged over one satellite rotation, interpreted as evidence for the fast magnetosonic mode which in view of the simultaneous large impulsive increase in the azimuthal electric field, appears to propagate radially outwards, transporting the substorm breakup downtail.