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1. THEMIS Mission and Substorm Simulation: This data visualization illustrates how the five THEMIS satellites in their final nightside orbits work together to detect substorm events in the magnetosphere. The magnetosphere data is a simulation from the Geospace General Circulation Model (GGCM). > For high resolution media Credit: NASA/SVS
2. Photo of the March 23 aurora taken by Daryl Pederson. Copyright: Daryl Pederson
3. March 23rd Substorm from Polar: Important discoveries from THEMIS began during a March 23rd substorm. This movie from the Polar satellite shows the auroral outbursts of that substorm.
4. THEMIS and the March 2007 Substorm: This is a THEMIS simulation of the March 23rd substorm. > Available in hi-res here on 12/10 Credit: J.Raeder / T.Bridgman
5. and 6. In the early part of the mission, the five THEMIS satellites followed the same orbit just beyond the bowshock on the day side of the Earth's magnetosphere. Credit: NASA/SVS
7. Flux Transfer Event
8. Flux Ropes or Boundary Waves?: THEMIS encountered its first magnetic rope on May 20. Flux ropes bulge outward in both directions, while Boundary waves bulge one way or the other.
9. Observation and Interpretation: Five THEMIS spacecraft were used to construct cross-sections indicating a flux rope detached from the magnetosphere.
10. Flux Ropes Power the Magnetosphere!: THEMIS discovered a flux rope pumping a 650,000 Amp current into the Arctic.
11. Hot Flow Anomaly Cartoon: THEMIS has observed a number of small explosions in Earth's magnetic bow shock.
12. Computer Simulation of a Hot Flow Anomaly Credit: N. Omidi
13. Hot Flow Anomaly Pressure Pulse: THEMIS ground observatories tracked the pressure pulse as it moved from east to west across the North America.
Cynthia O'Carroll
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.