Pc5 wave power in the quiet‐time plasmasphere and trough: CRRES observations

Abstract

The Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) mission provides an opportunity to study the distribution of MHD wave power in the inner magnetosphere both inside the high‐density plasmasphere and in the low‐density trough. We present a statistical survey of Pc5 power using CRRES magnetic field, electric field, and plasma wave data separated into plasmasphere and trough intervals. Using a database of plasmapause crossings, we examined differences in power spectral density between the plasmasphere and trough regions. These differences were typically a factor of 3 or 4 but could be as much as an order of magnitude and could be seen in both electric and magnetic field data. Our study shows that determining the plasmapause location is important for understanding and modeling the MHD wave environment in the Pc5 frequency band.