Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufmsm22a..04m&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #SM22A-04
Physics
Plasma Physics
[2431] Ionosphere / Ionosphere/Magnetosphere Interactions, [2736] Magnetospheric Physics / Magnetosphere/Ionosphere Interactions, [2784] Magnetospheric Physics / Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions, [7827] Space Plasma Physics / Kinetic And Mhd Theory
Scientific paper
We review and assess the importance of processes thought to drive ionospheric outflows, linking them as appropriate to the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field, and to the spatial and temporal distribution of their magnetospheric internal responses. These begin with the diffuse effects of photoionization and thermal equilibrium of the ionospheric topside, enhancing Jeans’ escape, with ambipolar diffusion and acceleration. Localized auroral outflows begin with dayside reconnexion and resultant field-aligned currents and driven convection. These produce plasmaspheric plume flux tubes with enhanced footpoint densities, collisional heating and wave-particle interactions, centrifugal acceleration, and auroral acceleration by parallel electric fields, including enhanced ambipolar fields from electron heating by precipitating particles. Observations and simulations show that solar wind energy dissipation into the atmosphere is concentrated by the geomagnetic field into auroral regions with an amplification factor of 10-100, enhancing heavy species gas and plasma scale heights and escape from gravity, and supporting more current carrying capacity. Internal plasmas thus enable electromagnetic driving via coupling to the plasma, neutral gas and by extension, the entire body. We assess the importance of each of these processes in terms of local escape flux production as well as global outflow, and suggest methods for their implementation within multi-species global simulation codes. We complete the survey with an assessment of outstanding obstacles to this objective. Upper row: parameters derivable from MHD simulations that drive outflows. Lower row: Ion outflow flux, temperature, and parallel velocity derived from the upper row parameters.
Moore Thomas Earle
Strangeway Robert J.
No associations
LandOfFree
Physical Processes for Driving Ionospheric Outflows in Global Simulations (Invited) does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Physical Processes for Driving Ionospheric Outflows in Global Simulations (Invited), we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Physical Processes for Driving Ionospheric Outflows in Global Simulations (Invited) will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1877852