Upward electron beams measured by DE-1: A primary source of dayside region-1 Birkeland currents

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL010i008p00753· OSTI ID:5667807

Burch, J L; Reiff, P H; Sugiura, M

Measurements made by the High Altitude Plasma Instrument on DE-1 have shown that intense upward electron beams with energies from roughly-equal20 eV to roughly-equal200 eV are a common feature of the region just equatorward of the morning-side polar cusp. Computations of the currents carried by these beams and by the precipitating cusp electrons show excellent agreement with the simultaneous DE-1 magnetometer measurements for both upward and downward Birkeland currents. The data indicate that cold ionospheric electrons, which carry the downward region-1 Birkeland currents on the morning side, are accelerated upward by potential drops of a few tens of eV at altitudes of several thousand kilometers. This acceleration process allows spacecraft above those altitudes to measure routinely the charge carriers of both downward and upward current systems.

• Research Organization: Department of Space Sciences, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78284
• OSTI ID: 5667807
• Journal Information: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 10:8; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BEAMS
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
CURRENT DENSITY
CURRENTS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
IONOSPHERE
LEPTON BEAMS
MAGNETOSPHERE
PARTICLE BEAMS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
POLAR CUSP
VOLTAGE DROP