Reconstruction of plasmoid and traveling compression region in the near-Earth magnetotail

Abstract

Cluster spacecraft observed an earthward flowing plasmoid along with a travelling compression region (TCR) structure in southern plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL) at 21:09 UT of September 19, 2001. We have reconstructed the two-dimensional topology of the magnetic field structure observed by C1 using Grad-Shafranov reconstruction method. Results show that C1 passed through part of a plasmoid, which compressed the lobe magnetic field and formed a TCR. The size of the whole plasmoid structure in X direction is estimated to be about 3 R E. Furthermore, using multi-spacecraft observations, we have found some detailed information about this structure. First, C1 observed bi-streaming electron components, which supports our suggestion that the spacecraft passed through closed field lines. Second, a small magnetic field perturbation within this plasmoid accompanied by slight decrease in electron flux suggests that a flux rope core might exist at the center of the plasmoid.