The Electron Polar Cap and the Boundary of the Open Geomagnetic Field Lines

A total of 333 observations of the boundary of the polar access region for electrons (Ee > 530 kev) provides a comprehensive map of the electron polar cap. The boundary of the electron polar cap, which should occur at the latitude separating open and closed field lines, is consistent with previously reported closed field line limits determined from trapped-particle data. The boundary, which is sharply defined, seems to occur at one of three discrete latitudes. Although the electron flux is generally uniform across the polar cap, a limited region of reduced access is observed about 10% of the time.