Generation of large scale potential difference by currentless plasma jets along the mirror field
A new mechanism of producing auroral electrons is proposed. Field-aligned plasma jets, presumably generated by magnetic reconnection in the magnetotail, give rise to charge separation along the mirror field whereby electrons are accelerated by the parallel electric field. The analysis shows that the potential difference can be expressed by ephi = W/sub paralleli/(1-1/..gamma..)R/(1+R) where W/sub parallel//sub i/ is the ion parallel flow energy, ..gamma.. is the mirror ratio and R is the ratio of the electron to ion temperature. In the magnetotail, W/sub parallel//sub i/approx. =10keV, Rapprox. =0.2approx.0.5 and ..gamma..approx. =10/sup 3/, so that the potential drop can reach several kV which is reasonable to make auroral electrons.
- Research Organization:
- Faculty of Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 730, Japan
- OSTI ID:
- 6175591
- Journal Information:
- Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Vol. 11:6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
AURORAE
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
MAGNETOTAIL
PLASMA JETS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ION TEMPERATURE
IONOSPHERE
MAGNETIC MIRRORS
MAGNETOSPHERE
PLASMA ACCELERATION
ACCELERATION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
OPEN PLASMA DEVICES
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
640201* - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena