New observations of plasma vortices and insights into their interpretation

Two‐ and three‐dimensional plasma measurements and three‐dimensional magnetic field measurements made with the ISEE 1 and 2 satellites during sixteen plasma vortex occurrences in the magnetotail plasma sheet are used to develop a fuller description of the vortex phenomenon than has existed heretofore. We studied in particular the phase and energy propagation properties of the vortex waves. The rotation period of the vortices (T ≈ 10 ± 5 minutes) is apparently independent of location, while the wavelength (λ ≳ several Re) increases with increasing distance down the tail, pointing to a global mode of propagation in which effects of inhomogeneous equilibrium are important. The flow rotation can be explained by propagation of surface waves or resonant waves in a uniform medium. Other observed features, however, require a nonuniform model: Nonuniform propagation properties and differences of the phase propagation speed calculated from different components of velocity or magnetic field.