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Andersson et al. 2002
Andersson, L., Ivchenko, N., Clemmons, J., Namgaladze, A.A., Gustavsson, B., Wahlund, J.-E., Eliasson, L. and Yurik, R.Y. (2002). Electron signatures and Alfvén waves. Journal of Geophysical Research 107: doi: 10.1029/2001JA900096. issn: 0148-0227.

We identify two distinct electron populations associated with Alfv¿n waves in the Freja data set using the high time resolution state of the art electron detector. One of the populations, detected together with an Alfv¿n wave, is field-aligned and can be seen as trapped within the wave. The other electron population is detected before the wave and consists of electrons which have left the wave at a point with a velocity higher than the local Alfv¿n speed. In the paper, the electrons leaving wave are modeled for different density profiles and are compared with the observed data. Depending on the density profile, the model can produce the same energy-time and pitch angle-time dispersion that is observed in the Freja data. The conclusion of the paper is that the Alfv¿n wave can explain the observed particle signatures. It is shown that the Alfv¿n wave acceleration can create electron signatures similar to inverted-V structures. The density distribution along a flux tube has an important role in the type of particle signatures that can be detected at low altitudes.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Auroral phenomena, Space Plasma Physics, Charged particle motion and acceleration, Space Plasma Physics, Wave/particle interactions, Ionosphere, Particle acceleration, Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetosphere/ionosphere interactions
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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