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A Database for Simultaneous Observations of the Earth's Magnetosheath by Cluster and MMS Between 2017 and 2021
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  • Costel Munteanu,
  • Eliza Teodorescu,
  • Marius Echim,
  • Daniel Dumitru,
  • Gabriel Voitcu,
  • Maximilian Teodorescu,
  • Catalin Negrea
Costel Munteanu
Institute of Space Science - INFLPR Subsidiary
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Eliza Teodorescu
Institute of Space Science - INFLPR Subsidiary

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Marius Echim
Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
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Daniel Dumitru
Institute of Space Science
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Gabriel Voitcu
Institute of Space Science
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Maximilian Teodorescu
Institute of Space Science - INFLPR Subsidiary
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Catalin Negrea
Institute of Space Science
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Abstract

This paper describes a catalogue of simultaneous observations of the Earth’s magnetosheath by ESA’s Cluster and NASA’s MMS missions. The catalogue is built from a visual inspection of summary plots provided by the two missions complemented by an analysis of high-resolution magnetic field data. The catalogue includes 117 events when Cluster 4 and MMS 4 crossed simultaneously the magnetosheath between January-April, 2017-2021. We also determine the bow shock geometry for each event based on two different approaches: a) a minimum variance analysis of in-situ magnetic field measurements, and b) a geometrical approach which considers a bow shock model parameterized by OMNI data. A description of spacecraft trajectory during each event is also provided. Additional data describe the relative distances between Cluster 4 and MMS 4, a classification of each event as either quasi-parallel or quasi-perpendicular, and the distribution of events per magnetospheric flank. The time intervals for the Cluster - MMS conjunctions included in the catalogue, as well as all associated figures and tables discussed in this paper are made available through an independent online data repository, and can be freely downloaded and used by any interested researcher.