On the source region of traveling convection vortices

We reexamined two well-documented traveling convection vortices (TCVs) which were observed in the pre-noon sector to investigate their position relative to particle precipitation boundaries obtained from low-altitude satellite measurements. DMSP observations of precipitating particles indicate that the TCVs' focii and trajectories lay inside of the plasma sheet near the CPS/BPS boundary. The TCVs occurred within the poleward part of the belt of trapped energetic (E > 30 keV) electrons. These findings and some auroral observations suggest that it is possible for TCVs to map to regions well within the magnetosphere, contrary to the general belief that TCV related currents originate at the magnetopause or LLBL.