10.34691/FK2/ANOKLOEspinoza, C.M.C.M.Espinoza0000-0003-2481-2348Universidad de Santiago de ChileStepanova, M.Universidad de Santiago de ChileMoya, P.SUniversidad de ChileAntonova, E.E.Lomonosov Moscow State UniversityValdivia, J.A.Universidad de ChileRepositorio de datos de investigación de la Universidad de Chile2019Astronomy and AstrophysicsKappa distributionPlasma sheetelectron spectrumsubstormsion spectrumCalabrano, CristiánUniversidad de Chile2019-06-192023-04-0410.5281/zenodo.11460101757531769416541112542text/plaintext/plaintext/x-fixed-fieldtext/x-fixed-fieldtext/x-fixed-field1.0CC-BY 4.0We use kappa distributions to model thousands of ion and electron flux spectra along the plasma sheet and analyze the variation of the spectral index κ and the temperature T in this region. We find that κ distributions are ubiquitous and fit well ion and electron flux spectra during quiet times, and during the expansion and recovery phases of substorms. Near Earth, and up to ∼12 RE, the κ indices are different than the rest of the plasma sheet, both for ions (κi) and electrons (κe). There is a significant dawn‐dusk asymmetry in κi toward the tail, which is enhanced during substorms. The ions also exhibit a permanent temperature asymmetry, determined by a colder dawnside. The whole tail becomes hotter during substorms, but it appears that most of the energy is deposited near Earth.