The cusp as a source of magnetospheric particles

Abstract

Observations made by the Polar satellite have shown that plasma of solar wind/magnetosheath origin is rammed into the high altitude polar cusp creating a diamagnetic cavity of large dimensions. The Earth’s dipole field can be excluded from this region in a turbulent manner with the magnitude of the field strength reaching close to zero nT at times. At such times energetic particles are produced in this region in intensities which exceed those measured in the trapping regions of the magnetosphere beyond L=6.5. These particles can then flow back out of the cusp along field lines that form the magnetopause. A fraction of these particles can enter the magnetosphere along the magnetopause on the dusk and dawn flanks. Due to existing gradients in the geomagnetic field, cusp accelerated ions can enter the magnetosphere along the dawn flank and electrons along the dusk flank. For those particles entering near the geomagnetic equatorial plane with pitch angles close to ninety degrees, they will drift along contours of constant magnetic field strength reaching deep into the nightside inner magnetosphere. From observations made by the Polar, ATS-6, and ISEE satellites it is argued that this cusp source appears to be capable of providing energetic ions to the magnetosphere and possibly energetic electrons which form the source population of the subsequent radial diffusion and formation of the radiation belts.