Views of Earth's Magnetosphere with the IMAGE Satellite

• DOI: 10.1126/science.291.5504.619
• Publication Date: 2002-07-27T09:53:24Z
• Authors: J. L. Burch; S. B. Mende; D. G. Mitchell; T. E. Moore; C. J. Pollock; B. W. Reinisch; B. R. Sandel; S. A. Fuselier; D. L. Gallagher; J. L. Green; J. D. Perez; P. H. Reiff
• Keywords: Plasmasphere; Ring current; Energetic neutral atom; Extreme ultraviolet; Van Allen Probes

The IMAGE spacecraft uses photon and neutral atom imaging radio sounding techniques to provide global images of Earth's inner magnetosphere upper atmosphere. Auroral at ultraviolet wavelengths shows that the proton aurora is displaced equatorward with respect electron discrete auroral forms higher latitudes are caused almost completely by electrons. Energetic ions injected into during magnetospheric disturbances a strong energy-dependent drift leads formation ring current in several tens kiloelectron volts energy range. Ultraviolet plasmasphere has revealed two unexpected features—a premidnight trough region dayside shoulder region—and confirmed 30-year-old theory plasma tail extending from duskside toward magnetopause.