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

Detailed Reference Information
Wu et al. 2002
Wu, X.-Y., Horwitz, J.L. and Tu, J.-N. (2002). Dynamic fluid kinetic (DyFK) simulation of auroral ion transport: Synergistic effects of parallel potentials, transverse ion heating, and soft electron precipitation. Journal of Geophysical Research 107: doi: 10.1029/2000JA000190. issn: 0148-0227.

Ion outflow processes along auroral field lines are simulated with a dynamic fluid kinetic (DyFK) model which couples a comprehensive fluid ionospheric (120--1100 km altitude) model to a semikinetic treatment for the topside through 3 RE region. Using a simplified electron description, large-scale extended parallel electrical fields driven by anisotropic hot plasma distributions have been incorporated in addition to the soft auroral electron precipitation and wave-driven ion-heating processes previously simulated <Wu et al., 1999>. Simulations show that auroral ionospheric ion outflows involve initial evacuation, ion-heating, and replenishment phases. The ionospheric ion supply is effectively elevated by the soft electron precipitation to topside altitudes, where the wave-driven transverse ion heating pumps ions upward. The altitude distribution and duration of wave heating and potential drop largely affect the pressure cooker ion trap formation. With comparable and persistent downward potential drop and wave heating, the pressure cooker produces slow and dense suprathermal ion outflows. The ion velocity distribution evolves in an extended ion trap from bowl and counterstreaming suprathermal conic distributions at lower altitudes into mirrored conics and finally toroidal distributions at the top of the pressure cooker. The wave heating is less effective for H+ ions, owing partly to their fast transit through the wave-heating region. The H+ ion trap tends to be lower but more extended in altitudinal extent than the O+ ion trap. H+ flux and total flow are about a third to half of those of O+. Some of the toroidal distributions and ion species variations of beam and conic energies in these simulations qualitatively resemble satellite observations of such ion distributions.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Ionosphere, Auroral ionosphere, Ionosphere, Particle acceleration, Space Plasma Physics, Transport processes, Space Plasma Physics, Numerical simulation studies
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