The project is a continuation of research focused on a combination of data-analysis using multi-point observations of magnetospheric substorm phenomena and theoretical development of a substorm onset mechanism involving plasma instabilities. Analysis will focus on isolated substorms using data from the ground based arrays, the suite of ISTP satellites as well as others not in the ISTP program such as DMSP. The analysis will focus on the conversion of magnetic field energy to particle kinetic energy during the expansion phase and the temporal and spatial relations of events observed on the ground and in space. Results will be utilized to evaluate various substorm models and to guide the theoretical development of the expansion onset mechanism.
