Width of plasmaspheric plumes related to the level of geomagnetic storm intensity

Abstract

The plume is a plasma region in the magnetosphere that is detached from the main plasmasphere. It significantly contributes to the dynamic processes in both the inner and outer magnetosphere. In this paper, using Van Allen Probe A (VAP-A), the correlation between plume width and the level of geomagnetic storm intensity is studied. First, through the statistical analysis of all potential plume events, we find that there is almost no correlation between plume width and the level of geomagnetic storm intensity. However, for the plumes in the recovery phase after improved sifting, it seems that there is a negative correlation between the plume width and the absolute value of minimum Dst during a storm. Utilizing test particle simulations, we study the dynamic evolution patterns of plumes during two geomagnetic storms. The simulated structures of the two plasmaspheric plumes are roughly consistent with the structures observed by the Van Allen Probe A. This result suggests that the plasmaspheric particles escape quickly during intense geomagnetic storms, causing the width of the plume to be relatively narrow during the recovery phase of intense geomagnetic storms. These results are helpful for understanding the dynamic evolution of the plasmasphere and plume during geomagnetic storms.