Diodelike response of high-latitude plasma in magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling in the presence of field-aligned currents

Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/92JA00796· OSTI ID:7172973

Mitchell, Jr, H G ^[1]; Ganguli, S B ^[2]; Palmadesso, P J ^[3]

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1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States)
2. Science Applications International Corp., McLean, VA (United States)
3. Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (United States)

The dynamic processes in the plasma along high-latitude field lines plays an important role in ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling process. The authors have created a time-dependent, large-scale simulation of these dynamics parallel to the geomagnetic field lines from the ionosphere well into the magnetosphere. The plasma consists of hot e{minus} and H+ of magnetospheric origin and low-energy e{minus}, H+, and O+ of ionospheric origin. Including multiple electron species, a major improvement to the model, has allowed then for the first time to simulate the upward current region properly and to dynamically simulate the diodelike response of the field-line plasma to the parallel currents coupling the ionosphere and magnetosphere. It is shown that return currents flow with small resistance, while upward currents produce kilovolt-sized potential drops along the field, as concluded from satellite observations. The kilovolt potential drops are due to the effect of the converging magnetic field on the high-energy magnetospheric electrons.

• OSTI ID: 7172973
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 97:A8; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CURRENTS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRODYNAMICS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
IONIC COMPOSITION
IONOSPHERE
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
ORIGIN
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLASMA
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND