Relativistic electron and energetic ion precipitation spikes near the plasmapause

Journal Article · Sat Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA091iA03p03077· OSTI ID:5974874

Imhof, W L; Voss, H D; Reagan, J B; Datlowe, D W; Gaines, E E; Mobilia, J; Evans, D S

An investigation has been made of electron and associated ion precipitation spikes near the plasmapause that are narrow in L shell and in which relativistic electrons are favored. The electron energy spectra during the spikes sometimes had equivalent e fold energies in excess of 500 keV. In approximately 31% of these spike events observed from the low-altitude polar orbiting satellites P72-1, P78-1, and S81-1, nearly simultaneous precipitation was measured in energetic ions above approx.30 keV at about the same L value. Several of the precipitation spikes occurred primarily in the drift loss cone, but in some cases, significant precipitation (approx.10/sup -2/ ergs/cm/sup 2/ s) was also observed in the bounce loss cone. The electron spikes occurred preferentially in the evening sector, and all of the associated narrow ion spikes were in that local time interval. Narrow relativistic electron spikes were observed on less than 1% of the crossings of the plasmapause. From the set of S81-1 events a search was made for those also observed on the NOAA 6 spacecraft. On rare occasions, nearly simultaneous (<2000 s) narrow spikes with hard electron spectra were found at approximately the same L value from both spacecraft and at longitudes differing by 8/sup 0/-47/sup 0/. These findings suggest a patchy profile, sometimes with an arc structure which may extend over longitude intervals as great as 25/sup 0/ and time intervals as long as 2000 s. From consideration of the AE index for 17 events, 12 were found to occur close to the times of substorms.

• Research Organization: Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory, Palo Alto, California
• OSTI ID: 5974874
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 91:A3; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
COLD PLASMA
CYCLOTRON RESONANCE
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY SPECTRA
INTERACTIONS
PARTICLE INTERACTIONS
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMAPAUSE
RESONANCE
SATELLITES
SPECTRA