INTERBALL in the TAIL 1996/1997 campaign


  • This Home page will support the INTERBALL mission coordinations with other simultaneous Space Physics missions during TAIL 1996/1997 campaign (October 1996 - Janury 1997).
  • IKI Situation Center will provide the situation analysis in order to predict the Favorable Spatial Positions (FSP) and multisatellite magnetic conjugations for spacecraft as follows: IB_AURORAL, IB_TAIL, POLAR (NASA), GEOTAIL (NASA/ISAS).
  • The FSP is the occasion when at least two spacecraft are in the Key Nightside Magnetospheric (KNM) regions.
  • The KNM regions: Plasma sheet (PS), Neutral sheet (PS), Auroral region (AUR), Polar cap (CAP).
  • The reference to the models of the magnetospheric regions and boundaries .
  • The initial orbital parameters for the INTERBALL orbits are provided by the KIAM Ballistic center.
  • The initial orbital parameters for POLAR and GEOTAIL orbits are taken from the Satellite Situation Center (SSC) of the NASA Goddard Space Fight Center (GSFC)
  • Magnetic conjugations
  • The favorable spatial positions

    Magnetic conjugations

  • For each month separately the conjugations of 4 satellites with each other are predicted. From all list of the possible conjugation only FSP cases in the night part of the magnetosphere was selected.
  • The predicted conjugation corresponds to the less then 5 deg angular distance of the footprints.
  • The Tsyganenko 87 (KP = 2) + IGRF magnetic field model are used during magnetospheric mapping.
  • For each pair of satellite the coordinates of conjugations are presented as a numerical file.
  • The reference to the numerical file description.
  • The plot shows the monthly time distribution of all conjugations. The days are shown along X axis and Universal time along Y axis.
  • To show the time of conjungation, in frame of the corresponding day for each satellite the corresponding color and lines are used:

    for the IB_Tail the green color and the first line are used,

    for the IB_Auroral - the pink and the second line,

    for the Polar - the turquoise and third line,

    for the Geotail - the dark blue and the forth line are used.

  • Click icons to make large pictures or corresponding month name to access the numerical files.


    See the detailed information about each correlation at September 1996 in the numerical files:

  • INTERBALL
  • Auroral probe & POLAR
  • Auroral probe & GEOTAIL
  • Tail probe & POLAR
  • Tail probe & GEOTAIL
  • GEOTAIL & POLAR

    See the detailed information about each correlation at October 1996 in the numerical files:

  • INTERBALL
  • Auroral probe & POLAR
  • Auroral probe & GEOTAIL
  • Tail probe & POLAR
  • Tail probe & GEOTAIL
  • GEOTAIL & POLAR

    See the detailed information about each correlation at November 1996 in the numerical files:

  • INTERBALL
  • Auroral probe & POLAR
  • Auroral probe & GEOTAIL
  • Tail probe & POLAR
  • Tail probe & GEOTAIL
  • GEOTAIL & POLAR

    See the detailed information about each correlation at December 1996 in the numerical files:

  • INTERBALL
  • Auroral probe & POLAR
  • Auroral probe & GEOTAIL
  • Tail probe & POLAR
  • Tail probe & GEOTAIL
  • GEOTAIL & POLAR

    See the detailed information about each correlation at January 1997 in the numerical files:

  • INTERBALL
  • Auroral probe & POLAR
  • Auroral probe & GEOTAIL
  • Tail probe & POLAR
  • Tail probe & GEOTAIL
  • GEOTAIL & POLAR

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    The favorable spatial positions

  • For each month separately the FSP cases are shown on the plots.
  • The plots show the monthly time distribution of the FSP The days are shown along X axis and Universal time along Y axis.
  • To show the time of the satellite presance in the key region, in frame of the day for each satellite the corresponding color and lines are used:

    for the Interball Tail probe the green color and the first line are used,

    for the Interball Auroral probe - the pink and the second line,

    for the Polar - the turquoise and third line,

    for the Geotail - the dark blue and the forth line are used.

  • The FSP1 case corresponds to the IB_TAIL & GEOTAIL simultaneous presence at any location within the PS + the IB_AUR or POLAR simultaneous presence in the AUR or CAP regions.
  • Click icons to make large pictures.


  • The FSP2 case corresponds to the IB_TAIL or GEOTAIL presence at any location within the PS + the IB_AUR or POLAR simultaneous presence in the AUR or CAP regions.
  • Click icons to make large pictures.


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    Related Home Pages:

  • Annotated list of magnetic conjugations between POLAR, FAST, AKEBONO, MSX, INTERBALL AURORAL Home Page
  • Satellite Situation Center (SSC) of the NASA Goddard Space Fight Center (GSFC)
  • NSSDC National Space Science Data Center of the GSFC
  • IACG (Inter-Agency Consultative Group for Space Sciences)
  • ISTP (International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Science Initiative)
  • IAS (The International Auroral Study) Home Page
    Back to the Auroral Probe Home Page
    Back to the Tail Probe Home Page
    Back to the INTERBALL Home Page
    Back to the Space research Institute (IKI) Home Page

    vprokhor@iki.rssi.ru Dr. Victoria Prokhorenko

    Updated 12 February 1997