Polar/TIMAS statistical results on the outflow of molecular ions from earth at solar minimum

Ion composition data from the first 22 months of operation of the Polar/TIMAS instrument, covering the 15-eV/e to 33-keV/e energy range, have been surveyed to determine the typical abundance, at solar minimum, of N₂⁺, NO⁺ and O₂⁺ ions in the auroral ion outflow, as compared to that of the better known O⁺ ions. The results indicate that molecular ions have roughly the same energy distribution as the O⁺ ions, with maximum differential flux occurring below 400 eV, but are far less abundant, by two orders of magnitude. The molecular ions also differ from the O⁺ ions in that they seem more specifically associated with enhanced geomagnetic activity.     

Comparison of ion composition from the goddard comprehensive ionosphere database with the international reference ionosphere model

We compared the IRI values of T_e, N_e, T_i, O⁺, H⁺, He⁺, O₂₊, and NO⁺ with AE-C values, obtained from the Goddard Comprehensive Ionosphere Database (GCID), composed of data from the satellites, AE-B, OGO-6, ISIS-2, AE-C, AE-D, and AE-E. O⁺ - H⁺ transition levels were derived from the IRI and AE-C altitude profiles. Some discrepancies were found between IRI and the AE-C data. The IRI electron density was found to be about a factor of 2 higher than the data. The H⁺ composition agreed best among the IRI ions, with an average AE-C/IRI ratio of 1.05. The temperatures of both electrons and ions agreed quite well: the average ratios of AE-C/IRI was found to be .99 for electrons and 1.17 for ions.     

The ion energy spectra in the ring current during the geomagnetic storm of February, 1986

Using data from the CHEM instrument on the AMPTE/CCE spacecraft, we follow the development of the ring current energy spectra (1–300 keV/e) of the ion species H⁺, O⁺, He⁺, and He⁺⁺ in the post-noon and pre-noon local time sectors during the geomagnetic storm of February 1986. By comparing displays of phase space density, f, vs. magnetic moment, μ, we can distinguish between enhancements due to newly injected ions and those due to adiabatic energization of a pre-existing population. In both the local time sectors, the initial drop in Dst is associated with enhanced phase space densities of all species. The spectra observed during the pass when the Dst dropped to a minimem of −312 nT show a strong local time asymmetry. In the post-noon sector, the spectra showed the influx of a new population of ions, rich in O⁺ and He⁺⁺. In the pre-noon sector, the flux increase was consistent with adiabatic energization of the ion population injected earlier in the storm. This local time difference is consistent with a greatly enhanced convection electric field which brings a new population from the magnetotail to the post-noon, but not the pre-noon local time sector.     

Relative abundance of H and He in outer ionosphere

A mathematical model is used to study the relative abundance of H⁺ and He⁺ ions in the topside ionosphere. It is found that the daytime light-ion densities are strongly coupled with the neutral densities. This fact arises difficulties in modelling the ion composition for IRI without taking into account any particular reference atmosphere. As an example, the transition heights between O⁺---H⁺ and O⁺---He⁺ are shown, plotted against the neutral densities. The supposed linear dependance gives a clear evidence that all light-ion ionization below these heights will experience stronger influence by the neutral atmosphere.     

Sources and losses of ring current ions: An update

The cleft ion fountain has been identified as a prodigious source of upflowing suprathermal ionospheric plasma. Modeling efforts have traced the path of these ions from the polar ionosphere along trajectories where the ions are energized to keV energies and deposited in the near earth plasma sheet. Mass and energy dispersion of these ions accounts in a natural way for the observed variation in heavy ion content of the plasma sheet. Observations of ion composition in the plasma sheet by the AMPTE and ISEE spacecraft establish that ionospheric ions dominate in the near earth plasma sheet but solar wind ions become significant tailward. The heavy ion content of the plasma sheet increases with both solar cycle and magnetic activity. Direct injection of ionospheric ions into the ring current has been observed in the outer plasmasphere. Several mechanisms for the direct injection of ions from the plasmasphere and ionosphere into the ring current have appeared. Estimation of ionospheric source strengths and residence times have led to an estimate of the magnetospheric densities that would result solely from an ionospheric outflow populating the magnetosphere. Estimated densities were quite reasonable even without inclusion of a solar wind source of ions. Ring current ions decay primarily via charge exchange with the hydrogen geocorona, however, the roles of pitch angle diffusion and Coulomb collisions in this decay process are being clarified.

Modeling and observations of ENA by the 1SEE1 spacecraft has led to a re-affirmation of the dominant role of charge exchange in ring current decay. Ion cyclotron waves contribute to ring current decay in the dusk bulge region. The role of low frequency. (< 1 Hz) ion cyclotron waves in the plasmasphere is still unclear. Other wave modes may be responsible for the pitch angle diffusion and subsequent loss of ring current ions. Coulomb collisional energy losses from ring current O⁺ to thermal electrons are sufficient to power SAR arcs and represent an energy sink for ring current O⁺ within the plasmasphere. Coulomb collisions may be important for decay of low energy (< 10 KeV) ring current ions in the plasmasphere.     

Inconsistency of magnetic field and plasma velocity variations in the distant plasma sheet: Violation of the “frozen-in” criterion?

Measurements of the magnetic field and low energy plasma by the GEOTAIL spacecraft have been used to study the relationship between variations of the plasma velocity and of the magnetic field in the distant (100–200 R_E) and middle (40–80 R_E) tail. The analysis was carried out separately for the tail lobes and the plasma sheet. It is shown that the absolute values of the magnetic field and plasma velocity, as well as their corresponding components (V_X and B_X, V_Y and B_Y, V_Z and B_Z), are linearly connected in the tail lobes. In the plasma sheet, however, the plasma velocity and the magnetic field do not seem to be related to one another. The distant plasma sheet seems to be in a regime of turbulence. The diffusion coefficients estimated from our data set of the velocity parameters in the plasma sheet are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions of Antonova and Ovchinnikov (1996, 1999).     

释放SF6气体扰动电离层时的人工气辉研究

在电离层高度释放SF₆气体能够显著扰动电离层.根据SF₆分子在电离层中的扩散方程,同时考虑其在电离层中主要的离子化学反应,研究了SF₆气体释放后电离层各粒子浓度的时空变化,计算了产生人工气辉的体发射系数和发射强度.结果表明,SF₆气体在电离层高度释放后,电子和O⁺的密度均有大幅度下降,主要的负离子成分由电子转变成SF₅^-;在释放过程中,主要产生777.4 nm和135.6 nm两种气辉,且前者的气辉强度远小于后者;电离层温度对气辉的强度有很大的影响.本文的数值计算与美国IMS/SF₆实验观测数据进行比较,结果近似,且通过数据比较还能准确推断出实验时当地的电离层温度.     

Plasma convection in the low-latitude mantle of the near-earth magnetosphere

A detailed analysis of Geotail observations on June 1, 1997 provides evidence for the appearance of the plasma mantle at low-latitudes, Z_GSM 3 R_E for southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), and clarifies the characteristics of the plasma flow in the low-latitude mantle. The tailward flow speed in the mantle is 80 160 km/s, smaller than the flow speed (300 km/s) in the adjacent magnetosheath. The component of the velocity perpendicular to the magnetic field lines is predominantly poleward at speeds up to 60 km/s, and the convection tends to be stronger for |;B_Y|<|;B_Z| than for IMF |B_Y|>|B_Z|;. This polewardconvection can be interpreted as being driven by a J × B force operating on the field lines.     

Interpretation of observations on July 24, 1996 detected by Interball-1 as pulsed reconnection at low latitude magnetopause

A method for investigating reconnection events is presented. The approach is based on advantages of non-linear spectral analysis named by the Method of Global Minimum and magnetic field measurements. The technique allows to reveal a presence and plasma properties of different particle species, waves, and time intervals of development of non-linear processes in the reconnection layers. We put into practice the approach to study the event on July 24, 1996 detected by Interball-1 and interpreted as gross deformation of the dayside magnetopause of about 5 R_E caused by a process at the bow shock by (Sibeck et al., 1998). Our method of spectral analysis of the data reveals that plasma detected during the event consists of ions both solar wind and ionosphere origin. The spectrum of the magnetic field data is determined by periods caused by gyro-motions of different species of the solar wind plasma (Fe⁺⁶, O⁺⁶, He⁺⁺) and the ionosphere ions (N⁺⁺, He⁺), and power non-stationary (transient) oscillations at period T120 sec. (frequency8 mHz. We reveal the exchange of plasma from the solar wind to the magnetosphere during the event too. Based on results of our analysis we suggest that the simplest explanation of the discussed event is that these are signatures of transient reconnection of interplanetary and terrestrial magnetic fields.     

The high-latitude ionosphere structure on 22 March, 1979 magnetic storm from multi-satellite and ground-based observation

Variations in the high-latitude ionosphere structure during March 22, 1979 geomagnetic storm are examined. Electron density Ne and temperature Te from the Cosmos-900 satellite, NmF2, Ne and He⁺ from the ISS-b satellite, precipitation of soft electrons from the Intercosmos-19 satellite, and the global picture of the auroral electron precipitation from the DMSP, TIROS and P78 satellites are used. These multi-satellite databases allow us to investigate the storm-time variations in the locations of the following ionospheric structures: the day-time cusp, the equatorial boundary of the diffuse auroral precipitation (DPB), the main ionospheric trough (MIT), the day-time trough, the ring ionospheric trough (RIT) and the light ions trough (LIT). The variations in NmF2, Ne, He⁺ and Te in the high-latitude ionosphere for the different local time sectors are analyzed also. The features of the high-latitude ionospheric response to a strong magnetic storm are described.     

INTERBALL statistical study of ion flow fluctuations in the plasma sheet

We use ion distribution measurements with CORALL instrument on-board the INTERBALL/Tail spacecraft to study plasma flows in the mid-tail (−9> X> −27 R_E) plasma sheet. Three velocity components computed every 2 minutes exhibit two types of velocity variations: Earthward bursty bulk flows (BBFs) and random flow fluctuations. Their properties are in a good agreement with the observations of the ISEE-2 spacecraft (Borovsky et al., 1997). The INTERBALL/Tail spacecraft configuration favors measurements of V_z component, in contrast to previous experiments in which only V_x and V_y were measured reliably. In the outer part of the plasma sheet V_y and V_z fluctuations were close to each other (variances σ(V_y) and σ(V_z) were about 160 and 110 km/s, respectively), but in the inner part at the dusk flank amplitude of V_y fluctuations increased and was 2 times higher than that of V_z component. This asymmetry of fluctuations should be taken into account during modern theoretical analysis and simulations.     

“Fine structure” of the storm-substorm relationship: Ion injections during DST decrease

Following a long period of consensus on the storm-substorm relationship, a dispute on this topic has emerged in recent years. The importance of substorms for the buildup of the terrestrial ring current, which is the major element of magnetic storms, has been questioned in several studies. This paper is an effort to assess the “fine structure” of the storm-substorm relationship, by investigating the correlation between the changes in Dst and the substorm-associated O⁺ enhancements in the inner magnetosphere during the storm main phase. For this purpose we use energetic ion measurements from the Magnetospheric Ion Composition Spectrometer (MICS) on board the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES), and the newly produced high-resolution (5-min) Dst index for the intense storm of June 5, 1991. Substorm signatures from both MICS measurements and ground magnetometers correlate well with changes in the Dst decrease rate. This implies a significant influence of substorm occurrence on storm dynamics.     

Alfven echo of giant ground loop current

Here are presented experimental results concerning the registration by ground magnetometers of artificial MHD echo generated by powerful pulse current in ground loop contour. Data analysis was made of several magnetic stations for 16 experiments with giant loop-current contour giving magnetic flux 10⁶nT/km² (the current attained 20 kA). Only several rather weak bursts were registered which appeared 78±2s after main switch impulse. Echo signal was a few nanotesla. Taking into account real magnetosphere tube configuration for L ≈ 5,5 and Kp≤2 it was shown that the signal with such a delay corresponds to propagation of artificial excited Alfven echo, returning back from a magnetoconjugate ionospheric region. Meanwhile, the amplitude exceed by one order the theoretically calculated one.     

Calcium abundance measurements using the Yohkoh BCS

Soft X-ray observations by SMM and other spacecraft have shown that the abundance of certain elements in solar corona varies from flare to flare. In this study, observations made by the Yohkoh Bragg Crystal Spectrometer (BCS) in helium-like Ca XIX have been analysed, and Ca abundance determined for 177 flares observed during the first four years of the mission (1991–1995). The average abundance of Ca relative to H for all flares is A_Ca = (3.64±0.39) × 10⁻⁶. As with an earlier study of SMM data, the abundance is found to be enhanced compared to the photosphere ((2.24±0.10) × 10⁻⁶), and with only minor variation from flare to flare. However, the absolute value and range of values determined by this study is smaller than in the previous study; these differences are discussed.     

Diurnal variations of ion flux intensity on a synchronous orbit

The data from the synchronous-orbit satellites of the Gorizont series are used to study the dependences of the ion flux variation amplitudes in the synchronous altitude region (the diurnal behaviour) on particle energies and on the form and rigidity of the particle energy spectrum. The proton fluxes were measured in the energy range E 60–120 keV, and the [N,0]²⁺ and [C,N,0]⁴⁺ ion fluxes in the energy range E 60–70 keV/e.

The ratio of the diurnal variation amplitudes of the studied ions is shown to correspond to the similarity of their energy spectra in the E/Q representation. The magnetically-quiet time gradient of the distribution function F(μ,J,L) in the synchronous-orbit region is shown to be (∂F/∂L)=0 for the H⁺ and [N,0]²⁺ ions and (∂F/∂L) > 0 for the [C,N,0]⁴⁺ ions (at the values of μ corresponding to the examined energy ranges). During magnetically-disturbed periods the inner boundary of the (∂F/∂L)=0 region shifts to lower L and (∂ F/∂L) = O in the synchronous altitude region must be also for the [C,N,O]⁴⁺ ions.     

Positive ion distributions in the morning auroral zone: Local acceleration and drift effects

We report on the typical structure of the large scale ion precipitation in the morning sector of the auroral zone and associated low frequency electromagnetic waves. Data obtained during near radial passes of the AUREOL-3 satellite point to a distinction between two main precipitation regions: 1) In the poleward part of the auroral zone the latitudinal variation of the average energy (or temperature) of the precipitated ions (mainly H⁺) indicate that they are adiabatically accelerated in the outer magnetosphere. This “high energy” (? 3 to > 20 keV) precipitation is usually associated with a low energy (E < 110 eV) upward flowing 0⁺ and H⁺ component, and 2) near the boundary between discrete and diffuse electron aurorae a drastic change in the ion characteristics is observed. The flux of energetic precipitated H⁺ ions is sharply reduced, which suggests the formation of an Alfvén layer. However, intense fluxes of precipitated H⁺, O⁺, and He⁺ ions with energies < 3 keV are observed equatorward of the Alfvén layer, in coincidence with the diffuse aurora and in association with quasi-monochromatic electromagnetic waves with frequencies around the proton gyrofrequency. As the characteristic convection and bounce times of the low energy upward flowing ion component are comparable (τ > 3 hours) we suggest that the precipitation of ionospheric ions inside the diffuse aurora results from convection and corotation of the ions accelerated to suprathermal energies at higher latitudes.     

Effects of large scale magnetic fields in the dayside ionosphere of Venus

The ion density and magnetic field data from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter for the first three dayside periapsis passes have been analysed to study the effect of the large-scale fields upon the dayside ion density profiles. The peak value of the O⁺ density in a strongly magnetised ionosphere often shows an enhancement as compared to a close non-magnetic orbit. Further, the height of the O⁺ peak shows a positive correlation with the height of the minimum of the magnetic field profile. Contrary to earlier findings, the compressional effects of the magnetic fields are observed even at near-terminator locations.     

Optical observations of ion tail structures and velocity fields in comet Giacobini-Zinner near the time of the ICE encounter

Observations of constituents of the neutral coma (CN. C₂. CH. O. H) of Giacobini-Zinner were made for a period of nearly three weeks during late August/early September 1985 from La Palma Observatory, Canaries Is. in addition to studies of structures and flows in the ion coma and tail. The neutral coma (in CN) was observed to extend to a radius of at least 400,000 Km, far beyond the “bow wave” identified by the ICE spacecraft. The ion coma (detected to a sunward distance of about 50,000 Km) and ion tail fan (max. length about 500,000 Km, recorded in CO⁺ and H₂O⁺ were also observed throughout the period before and after the ICE encounter. An extended Type I ion tail central condensation was not observed. The maximum observed extent of the ‘ionospheric tail’ was about 50,000 Km, five hours prior to the ICE encounter. This ionospheric tail rapidly diffused into a broad tail fan.     

电离对高超声速热化学非平衡气动热环境的影响

高超声速飞行,激波后高温气体会发生电离,飞行器气动热环境复杂。5组元（N₂,O₂,NO,O,N）、7组元（N₂,O₂,NO,O,N,NO+,e-）和11组元（N₂,O₂,NO,O,N,N₂+,O₂+,NO+,O+,N+,e-）热化学反应采用Gupta化学反应模型,分别数值研究电离作用对高超声速热化学非平衡气动热环境影响。本文分析了不同催化壁面条件下,高超声速热化学非平衡电离流场气动热环境特性。电离作用对激波离体距离和气动力载荷的影响很小。5组元热化学非平衡不考虑电离作用,流场温度和壁面热流密度偏大。11组元热化学平衡强电离流场温度最低;7组元热化学非平衡弱电离流场NO+和e-生成量过低;11组元热化学反应能对热化学非平衡电离流场气动力和热流密度载荷可靠预测。壁面催化作用会增大壁面热流密度,但它对高超声速热化学非平衡电离流场温度和气动力载荷的影响很小。      

Probing afternoon detached aurora and high-latitude trough based on DMSP observations

The present work displays the observations of an afternoon detached aurora along with ionospheric high-latitude trough. The event was observed by DMSP F17 on 19 September 2014. The afternoon detached aurora was isolated from the auroral oval and was located between 12:00–18:00 magnetic local time (MLT) and 65–70° geomagnetic latitude (MLAT). Particle observations indicate that the afternoon detached aurora was produced by energetic ring current ions with energies above ~10 keV where the main ion energy was likely to be above the upper limit of DMSP measurement (~30 keV). Magnetometer observation from the ground implies that the energetic ions were likely scattered by EMIC waves. Both the detached aurora and the auroral oval are found to be well inside the high-latitude trough with MLAT between ~64° and ~76° (68–80° GLAT). The auroral oval corresponds to a westward (sunward) plasma drift. It is expected that the westward drift transports the low-density plasma in the nightside toward the dayside, leading to the high-latitude trough formation. The afternoon detached aurora was well equatorward of the high-latitude trough, and the corresponding plasma drift was nearly zero. The plasma associated with the detached aurora is expected to be stagnant, and broaden the high-latitude trough equatorward.