Characteristics of longitudinal currents in the cusp as a function of the IMF orientation: data from the Interkosmos-Bolgariya-1300

We present the results of measurements of the three components of the magnetic field and of charged particle fluxes with 0.4 greater than or equal to E greater than or equal to 15 keV. The measurements were made simultaneously on board Interkosmos-Bolgariya-1300 in the daytime sector of local geomagnetic time. To determine the position of the cusp, we used spectral characteristics of the charged particles reaching the ionosphere. We investigate how the characteristics of the longitudinal currents in the cusp (determined from the magnetic measurements) are related to the IMF orientation. We investigate the asymmetry of the longitudinal currents in the northern and southern polar cusps. We have discovered intense small-scale currents in the cusp which are accompanied by abrupt enhancements in the flux of charged particles.