Influence of the interplanetary magnetic field on the occurrence and thickness of the plasma mantle

The response of the plasma mantle to the orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) has been studied by correlating Heos 2 plasma and Imp 6 magnetic field data. The mantle is nearly always present when the IMF has a southward component and often also when the field has a weak northward component. In addition, the mantle appears increasingly thicker with greater southward components. On the other hand, the mantle is thin or missing (from the region where it is normally found) when the average IMF has a strong northward component. This result supports the idea that polar cap convection plays a dominant role in the formation of the plasma mantle: mantle plasma originates in the magnetosheath, enters the magnetosphere through the day side polar cusps, and is transported across the cusp to the night side by means of a convection electric field whose magnitude is controlled by the orientation of the IMF.