The penetration of soft electrons into the ionosphere

Details The penetration of soft electrons into the ionosphere The penetration of soft electrons into the ionosphere

May 1976

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1976p%26ss...24..409m&link_type=abstract

Planetary and Space Science, vol. 24, May 1976, p. 409-423.

Physics

3

Angular Distribution, Earth Ionosphere, Electron Flux Density, Electron Precipitation, Energy Spectra, Ionization Cross Sections, Electron Energy, Electron Impact, Electron Scattering, Energy Absorption, Proton Precipitation

Scientific paper

Calculations are presented of energy spectra and angular and spatial distributions of electron fluxes in the ionosphere resulting from precipitation of monoenergetic (E = 25, 50, and 100 eV) electrons. The incident electrons are assumed to be isotropic over the downward direction. It is found that the resulting steady-state electron fluxes above ca. 300 km are highly anisotropic and that the pitch-angle distribution is energy dependent. About 15% of the incident electrons are backscattered elastically to the protonosphere. A much larger number of electrons escapes after they have deposited part of their energy in the atmosphere. The mean energy of the escaping electrons is about half that of the incident electrons. About 50% of the incident energy is absorbed in the atmosphere, the remainder being returned to the protonosphere. The rate of energy absorption is a maximum at heights between 300 and 400 km. Most of the energy is absorbed in ionization and excitation of atomic oxygen; an appreciable amount is absorbed as heat by the ambient electron gas. Altitude profiles are presented for the rates of ionization, excitation, and electron heating caused by soft-electron precipitation.

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