1 TAIL RECONNECTION AND PLASMA SHEET FAST FLOWS Rumi Nakamura, Wolfgang Baumjohann, Andrei Runov, and Yoshihiro Asano Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Schmiedlstr. 6, A–8042 Graz, Austria, Email:
[email protected] ABSTRACT and energy transport in the magnetotail. These fast flows are considered to take place as a consequence of recon- nection. The flows near the boundary of the plasma sheet The present state of understanding the process of tail re- consist of field-aligned beams, whereas the flows in the connection and plasma sheet fast flows obtained from central plasma sheet tend to have a large bulk-flow com- Cluster measurements is reviewed. Being a constellation ponent. The latter flows organize themselves in 10-min of four identical spacecraft, Cluster allows discrimination timescale flow enhancements, which are called bursty of spatial and temporal variations in magnetic field and bulk flow (BBF) events, embedding velocity peaks of 1- plasma parameters. Thus it is ideal to study the structure min duration, which are called flow bursts, and have char- and dynamics of plasma and fields relevant to reconnec- acteristics distinctly different from plasma sheet bound- tion, which is a highly dynamic system. Observations of ary layer flows (1; 2). current sheet crossings near the X-line obtained the ge- ometry of reconnection region and confirmed the effects Cluster traversed the magnetotail covering regions Earth- of unmagnetized ions including the Hall-current and its ward of 19 RE during the past four summer seasons since closure currents. Cluster multi-point observations iden- July 2001. The tetrahedron scale was between 250 km tified three dimensional structures and dynamics of the and 4000 km, which were changed every year, so that fast flows in the plasma sheet, which could be ascribed to characteristics at different scales could be identified.