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Oxygen Ion Dynamics in the Earth's Ring Current: Van Allen Probes Observations

Journal Article · · Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019ja026801· OSTI ID:1832381
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [7]
  1. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
  2. Boston Univ., MA (United States)
  3. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States); Boston Univ., MA (United States)
  4. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  5. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States)
  6. New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ (United States)
  7. Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States)
Oxygen (O+) enhancements in the inner magnetosphere are often observed during geomagnetically active times, such as geomagnetic storms. In this study, we quantitatively examine the difference in ring current dynamics with and without a substantial O+ ion population based on almost 6 years of Van Allen Probes observations. Here, our results have not only confirmed previous finding of the role of O+ ions to the ring current but also found that abundant O+ ions are always present during large storms when sym-H < -60 nT without exception, while having the pressure ratio ($$\mathscr{R}$$) between O+ and proton (H+) larger than 0.8 and occasionally even larger than 1 when L < 3. Simultaneously, the pressure anisotropy decreases with decreasing sym-H and increasing L shell. The pressure anisotropy decrease during the storm main phase is likely related to the pitch angle isotropization processes. In addition, we find that $$\mathscr{R}$$ increases during the storm main phase and then decreases during the storm recovery phase, suggesting faster buildup and decay of O+ pressure compared to H+ ions, which are probably associated with some species dependent source and/or energization as well as loss processes in the inner magnetosphere.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
1832381
Report Number(s):
LA-UR--21-23193
Journal Information:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 124; ISSN 2169-9380
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (1)

Cluster Observations on Time‐of‐Flight Effect of Oxygen Ions in Magnetotail Reconnection Exhaust Region journal February 2020

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