[Report published in Astronomy & Geophysics 43, 1.26 (2002)]
Summary.
The first results from the four-spacecraft Cluster mission will be reviewed. The solar wind, magnetopause, cusp and magnetosphere are seen in a new light with Cluster's unprecedented ability to distinguish between temporal and spatial variations, and to determine the 3-D structure of space plasmas. Similar insights into the magnetotail are expected as the orbit moves into that region.
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by Mike Hapgood (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory)
Published in
Astronomy & Geophysics 43, 1.26 (2002)
The RAS Discussion Meeting was entitled
"Cluster - a new view of the magnetosphere"
and began with an introductory
talk by Mike Hapgood (RAL), who outlined
the progress of the mission since its launch in
the summer of 2000. He showed how the pre-cession
of the Cluster orbits around the Earth
had allowed the mission to sample different
plasma regions in an annual cycle; the first
cycle had almost been completed. He went on
to describe future plans - in particular how
changes in spacecraft separation would allow
Cluster scientists to study the different plasma
regions at different scale lengths and thus study
different aspects of the plasma behaviour.
The meeting included several talks by
researchers involved in the instrument teams.
These included talks from all three UK-led
instrument teams: Malcolm Dunlop (Imperial
College) discussed work with the FluxGate
Magnetometer (FGM), Hugo Alleyne (Sheffield)
presented results from the Digital Wave Proces-sor
(DWP) and Chris Owen (MSSL) discussed
work with the Plasma Electron And Current
Experiment (PEACE). In addition, Andrew
Buckley (Sussex) reported on work with the
particle correlator that forms part of DWP.
The meeting also heard talks on two non-UK
instruments: results from the CIS experiment
were discussed by Iannis Dandouras (Centre
d’Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements, Toulouse)
and those from the RAPID experiment by
Patrick Daly (Max-Planck Institut für
Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau). At this early
stage in the analysis of Cluster, all the instrument
reports stressed the work to establish the
reliable calibration of their instruments which
is, of course, essential in order to compare data
from different spacecraft.
An important aspect of Cluster science is the
comparison of spacecraft measurements with
simultaneous ground-based measurements. The
combination of these two different techniques
is often a powerful test of current theories and
has been strongly exploited by the UK community.
Jim Wild (Leicester) reported on progress
in exploiting Cluster data in this context.
The meeting also included talks on analysis of
data taken during crossings of the bow shock,
the shock generated when the solar wind first
encounters and is slowed down by the obstacle
formed by Earth’s magnetosphere. This region
is a key target for Cluster and is crossed by the
spacecraft for about six months every year. Elizabeth
Lucek (Imperial College) and Tim Horbury
(Imperial College) reported on analyses of
magnetometer data during crossings of the bow
shock while Steve Schwartz (QMUL) reported
on behaviour of electrons in this region.
A highlight of the meeting was a talk by
David Southwood (Director of Science at ESA)
on his long involvement with the work that led
to Cluster. He particularly noted that the need
for a Cluster-type mission had first been posed
by Jim Dungey (Imperial College) in his inaugural
lecture in 1965. It was fitting that Jim
was able to attend the present meeting to see
his idea turned into reality.
Programme:
10:00 Registration, Coffee and Poster set-up
Morning Session
Chair: Professor Peter Cargill (ICSTM)
10:30 Dr Mike Hapgood (RAL):"Cluster: overview and future plans"
10:45 Dr Malcolm Dunlop (ICSTM):"Results from the Cluster fluxgate
magnetometer (FGM) experiment"
11:10 Dr Hugo Alleyne (Sheffield):"Results from the Cluster Digital Wave
Processing (DWP) experiment"
11:35 Dr Jim Wild (Leicester):" Coordinated Cluster and ground-based
studies: The story so far"
12:00 Dr Chris Owen (MSSL/UCL):"Results from the Cluster PEACE experiment"
12:25 Dr Andrew Buckley (Sussex) Cluster Particle Correlators measurements
of Electron Dynamics associated with Plasma Wave Emissions
12:40 Professor David Southwood (ESA) "Forty years of waiting for Cluster"
12.55 LUNCH + POSTERS
Afternoon Session
Chairman: Dr Mike Hapgood (RAL)
13:55 Dr Patrick Daly (Max Planck Institut für Aeronomie):"Results from the
Cluster RAPID experiment"
14:20 Dr Iannis Dandouras (CESR):"Results from the Cluster CIS experiment"
14:45 Dr Elizabeth Lucek (ICSTM): "Cluster magnetic field observations of a
quasi-parallel shock"
15:00 Professor Steve Schwartz (QMUL): " Strong Electron Heating and
Electrostatic Potential at Quasi-perpendicular Shocks"
15:15 Dr Tim Horbury (ICSTM): "Cluster magnetic field observations of the
quasi-perpendicular bowshock"
15:30 Tea At Savile Row followed by the A&G (Ordinary) Meeting
Posters
Dr Chris Perry, "The UK Cluster Data Centre"
Dr Patrick Chaizy, "The Cluster Joint Science Operations Centre"
RAS G/MIST discussion meeting, 9 November 2001
Cluster - a new view of the magnetosphereMeeting Report
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