Low energy upflowing ion events observed by EXOS-D: Initial results

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/91GL00028· OSTI ID:5371294

Sagawa, E; Iwamoto, I; Watanabe, S ^[1]; Whalen, B A; Yau, A W ^[2]; Fukunishi, H ^[3]

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1. Communications Research Lab., Santa Ana, CA (USA)
2. National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
3. Tohoku Univ. (Japan)

Initial observations of low-energy upflowing ion events from the Suprathermal Ion Mass Spectrometer (SMS) on EXOS-D are presented. The SMS instrument on EXOS-D measures the mass composition, energy and angular distributions of thermal and suprathermal ions in the 0.1-4,000 eV/q energy-per-charge and 0.8-70 amu/q mass-per-charge ranges. Two events are examined. The first features predominantly conical ion pitch-angle distributions and the second has mainly field-aligned distributions. Both events displayed small scale variations in upward flux, composition, and angular characteristics, and coincided with small-scale magnetic field fluctuations. In both events, the peak He{sup +} and H{sup +} fluxes were comparable; the O{sup +} flux was a factor of 5-10 larger. The pitch-angle distribution often switched rapidly between field-aligned and conical.

• OSTI ID: 5371294
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (United States) Vol. 18:2; ISSN 0094-8276; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
DISTRIBUTION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
HELIUM IONS
HYDROGEN IONS
ION DRIFT
IONIC COMPOSITION
IONOSPHERE
IONS
MASS SPECTROMETERS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
POLAR REGIONS
RADIATION TRANSPORT
SATELLITES
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
SPECTROMETERS
VARIATIONS