Physics
Scientific paper
Sep 1985
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1985jgr....90.8552b&link_type=abstract
Journal of Geophysical Research (ISSN 0148-0227), vol. 90, Sept. 1, 1985, p. 8552-8558. NASA-supported research.
Physics
28
Auroral Spectroscopy, Heat Flux, Ion Motion, Magnetospheric Ion Density, Polar Regions, Dynamics Explorer 1 Satellite, Helium Ions, Hydrogen Ions, Mass Spectrometers, Subsonic Flow, Supersonic Flow
Scientific paper
Cold flowing hydrogen and helium ions have been observed using the retarding ion mass spectrometer on board the Dynamics Explorer 1 spacecraft in the dayside magnetosphere at subauroral latitudes. The ions show a marked flux asymmetry with respect to the relative wind direction. The observed data are fitted by a model of drifting Maxwellian distributions perturbed by a first order-Spritzer-Haerm heat flux distribution function. It is shown that both ion species are supersonic just equatorward of the auroral zone at L = 14, and the shape of asymmetry and direction of the asymmetry are consistent with the presence of an upward heat flux. At L = 6, both species evolve smoothly into warmer subsonic upward flows with downward heat fluxes. In the case of subsonic flows the downward heat flux implies a significant heat source at higher altitudes. Spin curves of the spectrometer count rate versus the spin phase angle are provided.
Biddle A. P.
Chappell Charles R.
Moore Thomas Earle
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