The plasma mantle was first defined by Rosenbauer et al. (1975). It
covers much of the high-latitude magnetosphere, extending poleward of the cusp region
de-energized magnetosheath plasma
densities: few times 0.01 - 1 cm^-3
temperatures: about 100 eV
tailward flow velocities: 100-200 km/s
region of the so-called mantle current and discrete auroras
the density and energy often decrease when moving inward from the magnetosheath towards the magnetosphere (velocity filter effect, see the figure below); at low-altitude this creates an energy-latitude dispersion
generally thicker for southward than northward IMF Bz (see solar wind)