The causal sequence investigation of the ring current ion-flux increasing and the magnetotail ion injection during a major storm

Comprehensive records are available in ENA data of ring current activity recorded by the NUADU instrument aboard TC-2 on 15 May, 2005 during a major magnetic storm (which incorporated a series of substorms). Ion fluxes at 4-min temporal resolution derived from ENA data in the energy ranges 50–81 and 81–158 keV are compared with in situ particle fluxes measured by the LANL-SOPA instruments aboard LANL-01, LANL-02, LANL-97, and LANL-84 (a series of geostationary satellites that encircle the equatorial plane at ~6.6 R_E). Also, magnetic fields measured simultaneously by the magetometers aboard GOES-10 and GOES-12 (which are also geostationary satellites) are compared with the particle data. It is demonstrated that ion fluxes in the ring current were enhanced during geomagnetic field tailward stretching in the growth phases of substorms rather than after Earthward directed dipolarization events. This observation, which challenges the existing concept that ring current particles are injected Earthward from the magnetotail following dipolarization events, requires further investigation using a large number of magnetic storm events.