Slow electron phase space holes : Magnetotail observations

• We report multispacecraft observations of slow electrostatic solitary waves in the plasma sheet boundary layer. The electrostatic solitary waves are embedded in a region with field-aligned electron flows and are interpreted as electron phase space holes. We make unambiguous velocity and length estimates of the electron holes, v(EH)approximate to 500 km/s and l(||)approximate to 2-4(De), where l(||) is the parallel half width. We do not detect any magnetic signature of the holes. The electrostatic potentials of the holes are of the order e/k(B)T(e)approximate to 10%, indicating that they can affect electron motion and further couple the electron and ion dynamics.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

slow electron holes

multispacecraft

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