Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmsm43a1907b&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #SM43A-1907
Physics
[2407] Ionosphere / Auroral Ionosphere, [2704] Magnetospheric Physics / Auroral Phenomena, [2712] Magnetospheric Physics / Electric Fields, [2753] Magnetospheric Physics / Numerical Modeling
Scientific paper
Localized parallel electric fields play an important role in the dynamics of the magnetized plasma and hence are of fundamental importance for many space plasma boundaries. They are the cause for particle acceleration in discrete auroral arcs and they also play a pivotal role in the occurrence of magnetic reconnection. In the case of auroral acceleration, localized parallel electric fields, associated with U or V shaped electric potentials, occur in regions with a very strong guide field, where magnetic perturbations due to field-aligned electric currents are comparatively smaller. We examine the effects of localized parallel electric fields first in absence of electric currents and observe the generation of strong perturbation of the magnetic field, propagating in the form of Alfven waves, which is a dynamo process. However this process is unphysical due to the lack of source of energy which illustrates the necessity of electric current for the presence parallel electric fields. We then examine the effect of a localized parallel electric field in presence of electric current in a resistive medium and the simulation results demonstrate that the electric field integrated along the magnetic field leads to very narrow layers, which show many typical properties of discrete auroral arcs, at the ionospheric boundary. It is seen that the large perpendicular electric fields and the fast evolution are due to Alfven waves which are procuced in the parallel electric field region
Bhattacharya Tanmoy
Lummerzheim Dirk
Otto Andreas
Stevens Justin R.
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