Momentum coupling in ionospheric critical ionization velocity experiments

Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Physics of Fluids B; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.860957· OSTI ID:6232550

Brenning, N; Bolin, O ^[1]

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1. Department of Plasma Physics, Alfven Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm S-10044 (Sweden)

The critical ionization velocity (CIV) effect is a process that can rapidly ionize a neutral gas which moves through a magnetized plasma. The process has been studied for several decades in laboratory experiments, but presently the emphasis has moved to ionospheric injection experiments. In these experiments, the neutral gas component is released at high velocity, with respect to the ionosphere, from a rocket or a satellite. Efficient momentum coupling between the injected cloud and the ambient ionosphere is achieved by means of Alfven waves that are launched along the magnetic field. A computer model is presented for the momentum exchange between a cloud of injected ions and the ionosphere, and the model electric fields and particle spectra are shown to agree in detail with measurements from the Critical Ionization Test II (CRIT II); [Swenson [ital et] [ital al]., Geophys. Res. Lett. [bold 17], 2337 (1990)] ionospheric injection experiment.

• OSTI ID: 6232550
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids B; (United States), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids B; (United States) Vol. 5:7; ISSN 0899-8221; ISSN PFBPEI
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700340 -- Plasma Waves
Oscillations
& Instabilities-- (1992-)
700350* -- Plasma Production
Heating
Current Drive
& Interactions-- (1992-)
ALFVEN WAVES
BEAM INJECTION
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CRITICAL VELOCITY
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC FIELDS
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
ION BEAM INJECTION
IONIZED GASES
IONOSPHERE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
SIMULATION
SPECTRA
VELOCITY