Acceleration of hydrogen ions and conic formation along auroral field lines

Technical Report · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5233921· OSTI ID:5233921

Okuda, H; Ashour-Abdalla, M

Electrostatic ion cyclotron turbulence and the formation of ion conics at low altitudes (approx. = 1500 km) along auroral field lines have been investigated analytically and by plasma numerical simulations. Ion cyclotron waves are assumed to be driven unstable by the up-going cold ionospheric electrons associated with the downward auroral current. When the electron drift speed is comparable to the electron thermal speed, it is found that the large amplitude, e phi/T/sub e/ approx. = 1, coherent, ..omega.. = ..cap omega../sub i/, ion cyclotron waves shoudl exist along auroral field lines at low altitudes extending approx. = 500 to 1000 km. Ion conics are associated with the cyclotron turbulence and the ion bulk temperature is found to increase a factor of 10 of the initial ionospheric temperature, while the temperature of the high energy tail can be as much as a factor of 100 of the ionospheric temperature. Theory and simulations agree well.

• Research Organization: Princeton Univ., NJ (USA). Plasma Physics Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• OSTI ID: 5233921
• Report Number(s): PPPL-1902; ON: DE82016685
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
AURORAE
CHARGED PARTICLES
CYCLOTRON FREQUENCY
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
HYDROGEN IONS
ION DRIFT
IONOSPHERE
IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
TURBULENCE