Parabolic heavy ion flow in the polar magnetosphere

Details Parabolic heavy ion flow in the polar magnetosphere Parabolic heavy ion flow in the polar magnetosphere

Jan 1987

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1987jgr....92..175h&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research (ISSN 0148-0227), vol. 92, Jan. 1, 1987, p. 175-185.

Physics

23

Heavy Ions, Magnetohydrodynamic Flow, Magnetospheric Ion Density, Particle Trajectories, Plasma Dynamics, Convective Heat Transfer, Diurnal Variations, Dynamics Explorer 1 Satellite, Mach Number, Parabolas, Two Dimensional Models

Scientific paper

Recent observations by the Dynamics Explorer 1 satellite over the dayside polar cap magnetosphere have indicated downward flows of heavy ions such as O(+), O(2+), N(+), and N(2+) with flow velocities of the order 1 km/s (Lockwood et al., 1985). These downward flows were interpreted as the result of 'parabolic' flow of these heavy ionospheric ions from a source region associated with the polar cleft topside ionosphere. Here, a two-dimensional kinetic model is utilized to elicit features of the transport of very low energy O(+) ions from the cleft ionosphere. Bulk parameter (density, flux, thermal energies, etc.) distributions in the noon-midnight meridian plane illustrate the effects of varying convection electric fields and source energies. The results illustrate that, particularly under conditions of weak convection electric fields and weak ion heating in the cleft region, much of the intermediate altitude polar cap magnetosphere may be populated by downward flowing heavy ions. It is further shown how two-dimensional transport effects may alter the characteristic vertical profiles of densities and fluxes from ordinary profiles computed in one-dimensional steady-state models.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Parabolic heavy ion flow in the polar magnetosphere 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 Parabolic heavy ion flow in the polar magnetosphere, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Parabolic heavy ion flow in the polar magnetosphere will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1623883