Science

Science exploitation is extended to a large team of co-investigators across Europe and China.  The team has interests in a very wide range of topics which can be addressed by combined Double Star and Cluster observations.  Many of these are summarised in the table below, which lists the main areas of study alongside the corresponding magnetospheric regions visited by the six spacecraft.

Scientific Objectives of the FGM Team

Region and Double Star / Cluster Conjunctions

Topics for Study

Dayside Seasons

  • TC-1 at the bow-shock or reconnection region; Cluster as an upstream solar wind monitor
  • Cluster and TC-1 at either to bow-shock of the magnetopause at the same time
  • Cluster in the cusp with TC-1 in the reconnection region
  • TC-1 orbit skimming the magnetopause
  • Reconnection at the dayside magnetopause, evolution and global processes of reconnection
  • Energy and mass transport across the magnetopause
  • Formation and structure of the magnetopause. Magnetopause motion in response to sheath conditions. Waves and variations in boundary structure.
  • Bow shock dynamics and sub-structure; dependency on solar wind conditions.
  • Hot flow anomalies

Tail Seasons

  • TC-1 at the edge of the near-Earth plasma sheet and Cluster at the mid-tail plasma sheet
  • TC-2 in the inner magnetosphere
  • TC-2 at the cusp
  • Structure and dynamics of Magnetotail current sheets
  • Sub-storm expansion signatures and dipolarization
  • Plasma flows and Bursty Bulk-Flows
  • Field-aligned currents and coupling to the ionospher
  • Magnetic structures in the plasma sheet;