Multi-component ion fluxes in the near-earth magnetotail: Case study Original Research Article

We study the characteristics of the ion population encountered in the high latitude magnetosphere in the vicinity of the terminator for two passes of the INTERBALL-1 satellite. Analysis of data from the Low Energy Plasma Composition Experiment (AMEI-2) reveals the coexisting of ions with different origin: 1) from composition point of view - Solar wind and ionospheric plasmas; 2) from spectral poi of view - plasma sheet-like ions with energy-per-charge above 4 keV/q, together with magnetosheath-like plasma in the mantle part of the region and accelerated up to ∼ 2 keV/q and heated isotropic Solar wind plasma. A remarkable phenomenon is the accelerated to equal energy-per-charge (2.35 – 4.64 keV/q) both SW and ionospheric ions observed on mantle field lines.