Interball observations of the plasma sheet

One of the important aims of the INTERBALL project is the study of the structure and dynamics of the geomagnetic tail including the plasma sheet and neutral sheet as well as plasmoids. In accordance with the orbit evolution during a period from the middle of September, 1995 to the middle of March, 1996, the satellite passes the plasma sheet at a regular interval of about four days in the geomagnetic time regions of 06-00 and then 24-18 LT and at geocentric distances from 3 to 28 Earth radii. On the basis of the plasma and magnetic field observations, the positions of the plasma sheet and its dependence in a statistical sense on the interplanetary magnetic field B-y and B-z components are studied and compared with previous results and models. (C) 1997 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.