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Detailed Reference Information |
Chaston, C.C., Bonnell, J.W., Carlson, C.W., McFadden, J.P., Strangeway, R.J. and Ergun, R.E. (2003). Kinetic effects in the acceleration of auroral electrons in small scale Alfven waves: A FAST case study. Geophysical Research Letters 30: doi: 10.1029/2002GL015777. issn: 0094-8276. |
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In this report we examine the importance of ion and electron kinetic effects in the acceleration of electrons in small scale Alfven waves above the auroral oval. We implement a 1-D two-fluid MHD code approximating the effects of electron inertia and ion and electron temperatures to evaluate their role in accounting for the observed energies of field-aligned electron bursts found in coincidence with these waves above the auroral oval. FAST spacecraft data for a case study event characterized by large auroral ion energies and a hot plasma sheet is employed to define the plasma through which the wave propagates. It is found that strong kinetic effects at altitudes below 5 Earth radii may significantly reduce the amount of electron acceleration possible in the wave in terms of both energy and flux. |
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Abstract |
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Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Auroral phenomena, Magnetospheric Physics, Electric fields, Magnetospheric Physics, MHD waves and instabilities, Magnetospheric Physics, Numerical modeling |
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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 |
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