Observations of loading-unloading process at Saturn's distant magnetotail  

作　　者：ZhongHua Yao 

机构地区：[1]Laboratoire de Physique Atmosphérique et Planétaire, STAR institute,Université de Liège

出　　处：《Earth and Planetary Physics》2017年第1期53-57,共5页地球与行星物理（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Science Foundation of China (41525016,41404117)

摘　　要：Using in-situ measurements from the Cassini spacecraft in 2013, we report an Earth substorm-like loading-unloading process at Saturn's distant magnetotail. We found that the loading process is featured with two distinct processes: a rapid loading process that was likely driven by an internal source and a slow loading process that was likely driven by solar wind. Each of the two loading processes could also individually lead to an unloading process. The rapid internal loading process lasts for ~ 1-2 hours; the solar wind driven loading process lasts for ~ 3-18 hours and the following unloading process lasts for ~1-3 hours. In this letter, we suggest three possible loadingunloading circulations, which are fundamental in understanding the role of solar wind in driving giant planetary magnetospheric dynamics.Using in-situ measurements from the Cassini spacecraft in 2013, we report an Earth substorm-like loading-unloading process atSaturn’s distant magnetotail. We found that the loading process is featured with two distinct processes： a rapid loading process that waslikely driven by an internal source and a slow loading process that was likely driven by solar wind. Each of the two loading processescould also individually lead to an unloading process. The rapid internal loading process lasts for ~ 1-2 hours; the solar wind driven loadingprocess lasts for ~ 3-18 hours and the following unloading process lasts for ~1-3 hours. In this letter, we suggest three possible loading-unloading circulations, which are fundamental in understanding the role of solar wind in driving giant planetary magnetosphericdynamics.

关 键 词：saturn magnetosphere loading-unloading process magnetic reconnection DIPOLARIZATION 

分 类 号：P185.5[天文地球—天文学]