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Coordinated Cluster/Double Star observations of dayside flux transfer events on 6 April 2004

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Abstract

With the Double Star Program TC1 in the equatorial orbit and Cluster tetrahedron in the high latitude polar orbit, a conjunct observation of FTEs on the dayside magnetopause (MP) on April 6, 2004 is presented in this study. The FTEs observed by TC1 at low latitudes are characterized to be generated in the subsolar region and the obtained flux tube axes orientate along the predicted low latitude component magnetic reconnection X-line, indicating that these FTEs were more likely to be generated through multiple X-line reconnection or single X-line bursty reconnection. During the same period, Cluster also encountered a series of magnetosheath FTEs with their axes pointing roughly along the interplanetary magnetic field. At last, the global FTE configuration is obtained from observations in different locations, which is in good agreement with the “elbow shape” model.

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Correspondence to ZuYin Pu.

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Supported by the NSFC (Grant No. 40731056) and the Chinese Key Research Project (Grant No. 2006CB806300)

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Wang, J., Pu, Z., Zhou, X. et al. Coordinated Cluster/Double Star observations of dayside flux transfer events on 6 April 2004. Sci. China Ser. E-Technol. Sci. 51, 1611–1619 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-008-0265-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-008-0265-8

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