Observations of differences between regions of current flowing into and out of the ionosphere

Details Observations of differences between regions of current flowing into and out of the ionosphere Observations of differences between regions of current flowing into and out of the ionosphere

Jul 1979

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1979georl...6..621c&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 6, July 1979, p. 621-624.

Physics

9

Auroral Electrojets, Charge Transfer, Electrostatic Charge, Ion Beams, Ionospheric Ion Density, Auroral Arcs, Beam Currents, Current Density, Electrical Measurement, Field Aligned Currents, Ionospheric Currents, Ionospheric Disturbances, Polar Caps, Satellite-Borne Instruments, Time Dependence

Scientific paper

A correlative statistical study of field-aligned currents, upflowing ions and electrostatic shocks has been made using data from 93 passes of the S3-3 satellite through the auroral zone at altitudes from 1500 to 8000 km. To provide a framework for subsequent observations the morphology of field-aligned currents is briefly discussed and the spatial relationship of currents, plasma wave turbulence, electrostatic shocks, and accelerated particles is summarized. Upflowing ions with pitch angle distributions that are peaked at an angle to the magnetic field ('conics') are observed in all auroral current regions, but upflowing ions with distributions peaked along the field ('beams') are seen only in upward current regions. Electrostatic shocks are usually observed in the current sheet associated with the polar cap convection boundary. In the evening, when this current is upward, shocks are largest. Thus, indirect evidence for parallel electric fields is seen in regions of upward current, but not in regions of downward current. The altitude and magnetic local time depencence of upflowing ions and electrostatic shocks may be explained by the physical consequences of the differing particle populations carrying current into and out of the ionosphere. The physical processes of importance in the different current regions which can be inferred from data are discussed and compared with theoretical models.

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