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Mission
Objectives
The Cluster mission is currently investigating
the small-scale structure (in three dimensions)
of the Earth's plasma environment, such as those
involved in the interaction between the solar
wind and the magnetospheric plasma, in global
magnetotail dynamics, in cross-tail currents,
and in the formation and dynamics of the neutral
line and of plasmoids.
Cluster
is fulfilling its promise to be a revolutionary
magnetospheric space mission. The four-point,
relatively closely spaced measurements with
identical instruments have already yielded unparalleled
views of space plasma processes in key regions
of the magnetosphere and in the near-Earth,
upstream solar wind. Magnetospheric phenomena
are clearly seen to have a rich complexity that
could only be suspected.
Click on picture for a larger
view
Spacecraft
Flying in a tetrahedral (triangular pyramid)
formation, the four spacecraft collect the most
detailed data yet on small-scale changes in
near-Earth space and the interaction between
the charged particles of the solar wind and
Earth's atmosphere. This enables scientists
to build a three-dimensional model of the magnetosphere
and to better understand the processes taking
place inside it.
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