Evidence for a Cusp Source of Upstream Energetic Particles

Mathematics – Logic

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

2116 Energetic Particles, Planetary, 2724 Magnetopause, Cusp, And Boundary Layers, 2784 Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions

Scientific paper

The present debate about the source of upstream particles has traditionally centered on the role of the bow shock versus leakage from the magnetosphere as the source for providing the energetic (> 20 keV) component of these upstream particles. With the advent of the Polar and Cluster satellite programs with their modern mass and charge state compositional capabilities, a third possibility has been established. The Polar satellite has discovered that the shocked solar wind plasma enters the weak field region of the polar cusps and produces diamagnetic cavities of tremendous size within the traditional magnetosphere. Within these cavities the local magnetic field is greatly depressed and turbulent and usually carries the remnant signature of the upstream interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) in the two transverse components, By and Bz. Measurements, which demonstrate that ions of recent solar wind origin that have been energized to energies associated with the Earth's ring current, are observed inside these cavities will be presented and discussed. On occasions there are also ions of ionospheric origin that appear to be energized at the same time showing the same spectral and time variations as those ions originating in the solar wind. The Cluster suite of satellites has observed a layer of energetic particles to be continually present at the high latitude magnetopause but these particles are seen upstream more infrequently. Logically the condition for the energetic particles to be seen upstream from this cusp-associated source is the same IMF orientation as that ascribed to the quasi-parallel bow shock. Results of an ongoing study of the correlation of ions upstream of the magnetopause with magnetic field orientation and energetic particle streaming direction will be presented.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Evidence for a Cusp Source of Upstream Energetic Particles 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 Evidence for a Cusp Source of Upstream Energetic Particles, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Evidence for a Cusp Source of Upstream Energetic Particles will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1436339

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.