Abstract
Abstract. A little more than four years after its launch, the first magnetospheric, multi-satellite mission Cluster has already tremendously contributed to our understanding about the coupled solar wind - magnetosphere - ionosphere system. This is mostly due to its ability, for the first time, to provide instantaneous spatial views of structures in the system, to separate temporal and spatial variations, and to derive velocities and directions of moving structures. Ground-based data have an important complementary impact on Cluster-related research, as they provide a larger-scale context to put the spacecraft data in, allow to virtually enlarge the spacecrafts' field of view, and make it possible to study in detail the coupling between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere in a spatially extended domain. With this paper we present an interim review of cooperative research done with Cluster and ground-based instruments, including the support of other space-based data. We first give a short overview of the instrumentation used, and present some specific data analysis and modeling techniques that have been devised for the combined analysis of Cluster and ground-based data. Then we review highlighted results of the research using Cluster and ground-based data, ordered into dayside and nightside processes. Such highlights include, for example, the identification of the spatio-temporal signatures of the different modes of reconnection on the dayside, and the detailed analysis of the electrodynamic magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling of bursty bulk flows in the tail plasma sheet on the nightside. The aim of this paper is to provide a "sourcebook" for the Cluster and ground-based community that summarises the work that has been done in this field of research, and to identify open questions and possible directions for future studies. Keywords. Ionosphere (Auroral ionosphere) – Magnetospheric physics (Magnetosphere-ionosphere interactions; General or miscellanous)
Highlights
The terrestrial magnetosphere is a cavity carved out of the solar wind by the terrestrial magnetic field
The model is parameterized by the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) (Interplanetary Magnetic Field) clock angle and magnitude, while the lower latitude limit of the potential pattern is determined by the lowest latitude Fregion ionospheric scatter
The energy transport process begins when interplanetary and terrestrial magnetic field lines first break, reconnect with one another, resulting in the creation of an open magnetic field line anchored at one end to the terrestrial magnetic field, with the other end embedded in the IMF
Summary
The nightside processes can be ascribed to the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere-ionosphere system, like the dayside processes. The magnetospheric field is not compressed due to the solar wind, but rather stretched out into a long magnetotail. There are mainly two processes governing the global dynamics of the nightside magnetosphere and the ionosphere: convection and substorms. The strongest driving mechanism of the convection is the reconnection of the field lines between the solar wind and the magnetosphere. The multi-scale properties and the interaction between the ionosphere and the magnetosphere make nightside processes very complicated. We review recent studies which have combined the results of Cluster multi-point observations and the ground-based observations to study: (1) Large-scale convection and boundaries, (2) Substorms, (3) Fast flows, and (4) Auroral arcs
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
