Study plasma interactions in the auroral ionosphere. Final report

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:6530335

Anderson, H R; Wolf, R A

Analyzed data from rocket flight, 29.007UE is presented. In a discrete electron arc the measured upward moving electrons are well accounted for by secondaries produced in collisional scattering of the measured downcoming electrons. No collective mechanisms need to invoke. The low energy downcoming electrons are accounted for by thermal plasma accelerated through a potential drop of a few kV that specularly reflects upward-moving lower energy electrons. No low altitude collective effects need to invoke in the arc. Simultaneous measurements of electric field by double probes on 29.007 and the Chatanika Radar allow one to infer that there are upward drifting ions above the discrete electron arc, and there is a westward neutral wind in the discrete arc. Two rocket payloads were built to investigate plasma effects in the pulsating aurora.

• Research Organization: Rice Univ., Houston, TX (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6530335
• Report Number(s): N-84-16698; NASA-CR-175352
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
AURORAE
COLLISIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
IONOSPHERE
LEPTONS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA ACCELERATION
ROCKETS
SCATTERING