Observation and theory of the barium releases from the CRRES satellite

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:5556896

Bernhardt, P A; Huba, J D; Scales, W A; Wescott, E M; Stenbaek-Nielsen, H C ^[1]

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1. U.S. Navy, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC (United States) Alaska, University, Fairbanks (United States)

The relationship between releases of barium from the NASA Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) and enhanced auroral activity is discussed with reference to observational data. Barium releases were conducted at a variety of altitudes and injection velocities, and plasma irregularities are reported as a result of the interactions. Auroral activity increased within 5 min of each release, and references are made to the effects on diamagnetic cavities, bulk ion motion, and stimulated electron and ion precipitation. Artificially created structured diamagnetic cavities are noted for each release, plasma waves are generated by the high-speed ion clouds, and enhanced ionization is found in the critical ionization-velocity process. Barium releases are effective in stimulating electron precipitation, and the observed irregularities are related to cycloid bunching of the initial ion distributions. 38 refs.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5556896
• Report Number(s): AIAA-Paper--92-0789; CONF-920157--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
AURORAE
BARIUM
BEAM INJECTION
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
CORRELATIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELEMENTS
INSTABILITY
ION BEAM INJECTION
ION DRIFT
IONIZATION
IONOSPHERE
METALS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA WAVES
RAYLEIGH-TAYLOR INSTABILITY