Authors

L. R. Lyons
Department of Atmospheric Sciences
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1565

Invited intoductory paper based on presentation at the Fifth International Conference on Substorms
Fifth International Conference on Substorms (ICS-5), p. 255, Eur. Space Agency, Noordwijk, 2000.

Abstract

Several studies have recently been performed that are directed towards determining the timing of near-Earth neutral line (NENL) formation in the tail relative to substorm onset. These studies are reviewed here. It is found that they are all consistent with each other and that they show that NENL formation does not occur prior to substorm onset in the inner plasma sheet. This result is inconsistent with the fundamental premise of the new NENL substorm model that flows from a NENL lead to substorm onset in the inner plasma sheet well earthward of the NENL. Despite not occurring prior to substorm onset, NENL formation is clearly an important aspect of substorms. It is suggested that consideration be given to the possibility that NENL formation may be a result of, rather than a cause of, current wedge initiation in the inner plasma sheet. It is also suggested that understanding is needed of why signatures of NENL formation are often not observed within the plasma sheet, even when spacecraft are located within the longitude range of current wedge formation.

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Paper (pdf format)