Skip to main content
Article
Origin of the Turbulent Spectra in the High-Altitude Cusp: Cluster Spacecraft Observations
Annales Geophysicae
  • K. Nykyri, Imperial College London
  • B. Grison, CETP/CNRS-UVSQ
  • P. J. Cargill, Imperial College London
  • B. Lavraud, Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • E. Lucek, Imperial College London
  • I. Dandouras, Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements
  • A. Balogh, Imperial College London
  • N. Cornilleau-Wehrlin, CETP/CNRS-UVSQ
  • H. Reme, Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements
Submitting Campus
Daytona Beach
Department
Physical Sciences
Document Type
Article
Publication/Presentation Date
5-1-2006
Abstract/Description

High-resolution magnetic field data from Cluster Flux GateMagnetometer (FGM) and the Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Field Fluctuations (STAFF) instruments are used to study turbulent magnetic field fluctuations during the highaltitude cusp crossing on 17 March 2001. Despite the quiet solar wind conditions, the cusp was filled with magnetic field turbulence whose power correlates with the field-aligned ion plasma flux. The magnetic field wave spectra shows power law behavior with both double and single slopes with break in the spectra usually occurring in the vicinity of the local ion cyclotron frequency. Strong peaks in the wave power close to local ion cyclotron frequency were sometimes observed, with secondary peaks at higher harmonics indicative of resonant processes between protons and the waves. We show that the observed spectral break point may be caused partly by damping of obliquely propagating kinetic Alfv´en (KAW) waves and partly by cyclotron damping of ion cyclotron waves.

DOI
https://doi.org/10/5194/angeo-24-1057-2006
Publisher
European Geosciences Union
Additional Information

Dr. Nykyri was not affiliated with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at the time this paper was published.

Citation Information
K. Nykyri, B. Grison, P. J. Cargill, B. Lavraud, et al.. "Origin of the Turbulent Spectra in the High-Altitude Cusp: Cluster Spacecraft Observations" Annales Geophysicae Vol. 24 Iss. 3 (2006) p. 1057 - 1075
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/heidi-nykyri/33/