ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE PLASMA SHEET, RING CURRENT,nTRAPPING BOUNDARY AND PLASMA PAUSE NEAR THE MAGNETIC EQUATOR AND LOCAL MIDNIGHT

摘要

Observations of the complex structure of the near-earth termination of the plasma sheet in the pre- and post-midnight sectors of the magnetosphere near the magnetic equator were obtained with a sensitive electrostatic analyzer array flown on the earth-satellite OGO 3 during June through July 1966. Principal observational results were:n• The 'trapping boundary' for energetic electrons E ＞ 40 keV is positioned within the extraterrestrial ring current and near its outer edge.n• The inner boundary of the earthward edge of the plasma sheet, the region characterized by an exponential decrease of electron energy densities with de¬creasing radial distance, is coincident with the plasma-pause position in the post-midnight sector.