A CHARGE-SEPARATION MECHANISM FOR THE PRODUCTION OF POLAR AURORAS AND ELECTROJETS

Technical Report · Thu Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1962

OSTI ID:4769527

Kern, J W

A mechanism for charge separation in geomagnetically trapped radiation is described which may account for some observed phenomena associated with the polar aurora and the electrojet current systems. Surfaces of constant number density may be separated from surfaces of constant integral invariant within the trapped radiation as a result of distortion of the geomagnetic field by solar streams. Drift separation of protons and electrons follows, and for irregular distributions of plasma number density, electric fields arise. A direct consequence of such polarization of the geomagnetically trapped radiation is the polarelectrojet current systems. The polar aurora arises where energetic particles are discharged from regions of excess charge within the geomagnetically trapped radiation. A model for the discharge of such auroral particles is discussed. A feature of the proposed mechanism is that the extreme thinness of auroral sheets appears to follow as a natural consequence of charge separation. This is shown analytically for a simple two-dimensional model of a trapped plasma. (auth)

• Research Organization: RAND Corp., Santa Monica, Calif.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-005043
• OSTI ID: 4769527
• Report Number(s): RM-3058-NASA; AD-274182
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

COSMIC RADIATION
CURRENTS
DENSITY
DISTRIBUTION
EARTH
ELECTRIC CHARGES
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRONS
JETS
LAYERS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PHYSICS
PLASMA
POLARIZATION
PRODUCTION
PROTONS
RADIATIONS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SUN
SURFACES
THICKNESS
TRAPS