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Extreme ionospheric ion energization and electron heating in Alfvén waves in the storm time inner magnetosphere

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL066674· OSTI ID:1402601
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [6];  [7]
  1. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Space Sciences Lab.; Univ. of Sydney, NSW (Australia). School of Physics
  2. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Space Sciences Lab.
  3. Univ. of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
  4. Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States). Dept. of Physics
  5. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  6. New Jersey Inst. of Technology, Newark, NJ (United States). Center for Solar Terrestrial Research, Dept. of Physics
  7. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States)/ Space Science Center, Dept. of Physics
+ Show Author Affiliations

Here we report measurements of energized outflowing/bouncing ionospheric ions and heated electrons in the inner magnetosphere during a geomagnetic storm. The ions arrive in the equatorial plane with pitch angles that increase with energy over a range from tens of eV to>50 keV while the electrons are field aligned up to ~1 keV. These particle distributions are observed during intervals of broadband low-frequency electromagnetic field fluctuations consistent with a Doppler-shifted spectrum of kinetic Alfvén waves and kinetic field line resonances. The fluctuations extend from L≈3 out to the apogee of the Van Allen Probes spacecraft at L ≈ 6.5. They thereby span most of the L shell range occupied by the ring current. Lastly, these measurements suggest a model for ionospheric ion outflow and energization driven by dispersive Alfvén waves that may account for the large storm time contribution of ionospheric ions to magnetospheric energy density.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA); Australian Research Council; USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1402601
Report Number(s):
LA-UR--15-28805
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 24 Vol. 42; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (7)

The source of O + in the storm time ring current : SOURCE OF RING CURRENT O journal June 2016
Interaction of ULF waves with different ion species: Pitch angle and phase space density implications: ULF WAVES INTERACING WITH DIFFERENT IONS journal October 2016
Magnetic Field Dipolarization and Its Associated Ion Flux Variations in the Dawnside Deep Inner Magnetosphere: Arase Observations journal August 2018
Low‐Energy (+ Ion Outflow Directly Into the Inner Magnetosphere: Van Allen Probes Observations journal January 2019
Magnetospheric Signatures of STEVE: Implications for the Magnetospheric Energy Source and Interhemispheric Conjugacy journal June 2019
Dispersive Alfvén Wave Control of O + Ion Outflow and Energy Densities in the Inner Magnetosphere journal August 2019
Event Studies of O + Density Variability Within Quiet‐Time Plasma Sheet journal June 2019

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Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
Alfven waves
Heliospheric and Magnetospheric Physics
electron precipitation
geomagnetic storms
ion acceleration
ion outflow
ion upflow