Simultaneous observations of magnetotail reconnection and bright X-ray aurora on 2 October 2002

We present simultaneous Cluster and Polar X‐ray and UVI observations on 2 October 2002, when Cluster observed a magnetic reconnection diffusion region at Xgse = −16.6 Re. At the same time a bright auroral feature appeared at the footpoint of the magnetic field line connecting the ionosphere and the diffusion region. However, we found that the electrons measured in the diffusion region by Cluster were not sufficiently accelerated by the reconnection process to produce the aurora X‐ray fluxes measured by Polar. The DMSP F14 passed over the intense X‐ray spot and showed that the X rays (and the fainter UV) were produced by electrons accelerated through a ∼30 kV potential drop. The coincidence in time and the fact that this inverted‐V is very close to the open‐closed field line boundary suggest that the inverted‐V structure are produced by flow shears that could be related to the reconnection process.