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Model for an electromotive-force generator in the magnetosphere: a source of discrete auroral arcs

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5476237
Results obtained from solving Maxwell's and Vlasov's equations to obtain the electrical structure of the sheath that separates magnetospheric-particle populations of different densities and temperatures. It is shown that for reasonable magnetospheric plasma populations an electric potential difference of several kilovolts exists across such a boundary. This potential can serve as the necessary EMF for the auroral current circuit. Ths colocation between a magnetospheric plasma boundary and a discrete aurora is a natural consequence of this picture.
Research Organization:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Boulder, CO (USA). Space Environment Lab.
OSTI ID:
5476237
Report Number(s):
AD-P-005694/5/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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