Localization of the Cluster satellites in the geospace environment

Area of Science:

• Space Physics
• Geophysics
• Magnetospheric Physics

Background:

• Geospace, Earth's magnetized environment, is dynamic and spatially complex.
• Spacecraft positioning requires understanding the inhomogeneous geospace environment.
• Accurate location data is crucial for analyzing spacecraft observations.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce the Geospace Region and Magnetospheric Boundary identification (GRMB) dataset.
• Provide continuous, labelled positions for Cluster spacecraft throughout its mission.
• Enhance the analysis of Cluster mission data by contextualizing it within the local geospace environment.

Main Methods:

• Manual selection of spacecraft positions based on 44 Cluster data products.
• Development of 15 distinct labels for geospace regions, from plasmasphere to solar wind.
• Validation of dataset consistency over seven years using reference lists and physical properties.

Main Results:

• The GRMB dataset offers labelled positions for Cluster spacecraft across its entire mission.
• The dataset encompasses 15 distinct geospace regions, including plasmasphere, lobe, plasmasheet, magnetosheath, and solar wind.
• Cluster spacecraft spent approximately 15% of its mission time in the lobe, plasmasheet, plasmasheet transition region, magnetosheath, and solar wind.

Conclusions:

• The GRMB dataset provides a valuable, validated resource for geospace research.
• Continuous environmental labelling significantly supports the interpretation of spacecraft data.
• The dataset facilitates a deeper understanding of the spatial and temporal dynamics of geospace regions.