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Title: Nonlinear electric field structures in the inner magnetosphere

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2014gl061109· OSTI ID:1200617
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [5];  [5]
  1. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
  2. Univ. of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
  3. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  4. Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States)
  5. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Recent observations by the Van Allen Probes spacecraft have demonstrated that a variety of electric field structures and nonlinear waves frequently occur in the inner terrestrial magnetosphere, including phase space holes, kinetic field-line resonances, nonlinear whistler-mode waves, and several types of double layer. However, it is nuclear whether such structures and waves have a significant impact on the dynamics of the inner magnetosphere, including the radiation belts and ring current. To make progress toward quantifying their importance, this study statistically evaluates the correlation of such structures and waves with plasma boundaries. A strong correlation is found. These statistical results, combined with observations of electric field activity at propagating plasma boundaries, are consistent with the identification of these boundaries as the source of free energy responsible for generating the electric field structures and nonlinear waves of interest. Therefore, the ability of these structures and waves to influence plasma in the inner magnetosphere is governed by the spatial extent and dynamics of macroscopic plasma boundaries in that region.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1200617
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-15-20089
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 41, Issue 16; ISSN 0094-8276
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 69 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (11)

Electron holes in the outer radiation belt: Characteristics and their role in electron energization journal January 2017
A Census of Plasma Waves and Structures Associated With an Injection Front in the Inner Magnetosphere: BOUNDARY WAVE CASE STUDY journal April 2018
Shock waves and the formation of solitary structures in electron acoustic wave in inner magnetosphere plasma with relativistically degenerate particles journal April 2019
Electron phase-space hole transverse instability at high magnetic field journal September 2019
Formation of Asymmetric Electron Acoustic Double Layers in the Earth's Inner Magnetosphere journal August 2019
Properties of Electron Phase Space Holes in the Lunar Plasma Environment journal July 2019
Stability of relativistic electron trapping by strong whistler or electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves journal August 2015
Electron holes in phase space: What they are and why they matter journal May 2017
Electron-acoustic solitary waves in the Earth's inner magnetosphere journal February 2018
Genesis of non-uniformity of plasma fluxes over emissive wall in low-temperature plasmas journal December 2019
Wave-particle interactions in the outer radiation belts journal January 2015

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70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
Heliospheric and Magnetospheric Physics