Electron distribution function behavior during localized transverse ion acceleration events in the topside auroral zone

Journal Article · Tue Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Journal of Geophysical Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/93JA02959· OSTI ID:28490

Lynch, K A; Arnoldy, R L ^[1]; Kintner, P M ^[2]; Vago, J L ^[3]

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1. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States)
2. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
3. European Space Agency, Noordwijk (Netherlands)

The Topaz3 auroral sounding rocket made the following observations concerning the transfer of precipitating auroral electron energy to transverse ion acceleration in the topside auroral zone. During the course of the flight, the precipitating electron beam was modified to varying degrees by interaction with VLF hiss, at times changing the beam into a field-aligned plateau. The electron distribution functions throughout the flight are classified according to the extent of this modification, and correspondences with ion acceleration events are sought. The hiss power during most of this rocket flight apparently exceeded the threshold for collapse into solitary structures. At the times of plateaued electron distributions, the collapse of these structures was limited by Landau damping through the ambient ions, resulting in a velocity-dependent acceleration of both protons and oxygen. This initial acceleration is sufficient to supply the number flux of upflowing ions observed at satellite altitudes. The bursty ion acceleration was anticorrelated, on 1-s or smaller timescales, with dispersive bursts of precipitating field-aligned electrons, although on longer timescales the bursty ions and the bursty electrons are correlated. 45 refs., 9 figs.

• OSTI ID: 28490
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research Journal Issue: A2 Vol. 99; ISSN JGREA2; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
AURORAL HISS
AURORAL ZONES
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
ELECTRONS
ENERGY TRANSFER