Terrestrial Continuum Radiation in the Magnetotail: Geotail Observations

Geotail observations have revealed that the terrestrial continuum radiation observed in the magnetotail consists of several components that are generated at different locations through different processes. We have classified the continuum-like radiation into the following components: classical nonthermal continuum radiation generated in the dawnside and dayside plasmapause, short-lived enhancement of the nonthermal continuum radiation generated at the nightside plasmapause, auroral myriametric radiation generated at the auroral plasma cavity, lobe-trapped continuum radiation generated at the plasma sheet boundary layer (PSBL), and narrowband 2fp radiation generated through beam-plasma instability at the PSBL. We summarize their generation and propagation nature. We also discuss possibilities of using their characteristics for the remote sensing studies of the terrestrial magnetosphere.