EarthRef.org Reference Database (ERR)
Development and Maintenance by the EarthRef.org Database Team

Detailed Reference Information
Cattell 1981
Cattell, C. (1981). The relationship of field-aligned currents to electrostatic ion cyclotron waves. Journal of Geophysical Research 86: doi: 10.1029/JA086iA05p03641. issn: 0148-0227.

Two sources of free energy for driving ion cyclotron waves have been oberved in the S3-3 satellite: field-aligned currents and ion beams. Since the waves are destabilized by the thermal electron drift and not the current, before correlating observations of field-aligned currents with ion cyclotron waves, it is first necessary to determine that the current is primarily carried by thermal electrons. Comparisons of the current carried by energetic particles with the current measured by the magnetometer during several events shows that this is sometimes the case. Statistical studies indicate that the field-aligned current density is correlated with the spectral density during ion cyclotron events. The combination of the results of this report and those of Kintner et al. (1979) is consistent with the hypotheis that the observed ion cyclotron waves are driven by a combination of ion beams and electron drift. However, the available data set does not unambiguously identify the free energy source.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
2000 Florida Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009-1277
USA
1-202-462-6900
1-202-328-0566
service@agu.org
Click to clear formClick to return to previous pageClick to submit