Observational constraints for plasma sheet ion sources and transports during northward IMF

Details Observational constraints for plasma sheet ion sources and transports during northward IMF Observational constraints for plasma sheet ion sources and transports during northward IMF

Dec 2005

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005agufmsm33b0449w&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2005, abstract #SM33B-0449

Physics

2736 Magnetosphere/Ionosphere Interactions (2431), 2740 Magnetospheric Configuration And Dynamics, 2744 Magnetotail, 2748 Magnetotail Boundary Layers, 2764 Plasma Sheet

Scientific paper

During periods of northward IMF, plasma sheet ions often have two components: hot (magnetospheric origin) and cold (magnetosheath origin). The temperatures of the cold-component ions are ~30-40 percent higher in the dawn sector compared to the dusk sector, implying the magnetosheath ion heating of ~30-40 percent during the entry process along the plasma sheet dawn flank. As a result, the magnetosheath ions are less distinguishable from the hot-component ions, which have lower temperatures on the dawnside, leading to a higher occurrence of the ions having (apparent) one-component distribution. As the duration of the hourly averaged IMF being northward (Dt) increases from 1 to 10 hours, the occurrence of two-component ions increases from 65 to 83 percent in the dusk flank, but in the dawn flank, it remains relatively stable at around 45 percent. In contrast, the occurrence of ions best characterized by kappa distribution increases from 25 to 35 percent in the dawn flank whereas in the dusk flank it remains relatively insensitive to Dt (10 percent). The occurrence of a one-component Maxwellian distribution appears to be most pronounced in the region of the plasma sheet close to the midnight meridian, and these ions appear to be characteristic of the nominal plasma sheet (hot component) ions. The densification of the plasma sheet, as Dt increases, mainly results from the influx of the magnetosheath ions. However, the cooling of the plasma sheet ions can be attributed not only to the influx of the cold magnetosheath ions, but also the cooling of the nominal plasma sheet ions. The dawn-dusk asymmetries observed in the cold magnetosheath ion profiles should provide constraints that can help determine the roles of various proposed magnetosheath ion entry mechanisms.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Observational constraints for plasma sheet ion sources and transports during northward IMF 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 Observational constraints for plasma sheet ion sources and transports during northward IMF, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Observational constraints for plasma sheet ion sources and transports during northward IMF will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-763286