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Chen et al. 2005
Chen, L., Kletzing, C.A., Hu, S. and Bounds, S.R. (2005). Auroral electron dispersion below inverted-V energies: Resonant deceleration and acceleration by Alfvén waves. Journal of Geophysical Research 110: doi: 10.1029/2005JA011168. issn: 0148-0227.

Rocket observations of electron time dispersion which occurs at energies below the primary inverted-V electron precipitation exhibit a variety of characteristics in the dispersion timescale and flux intensity distribution. We present simulation results that illustrate how different dispersion signatures can be produced by resonant acceleration and deceleration of auroral electrons by inertial Alfv¿n waves. We investigate the individual effects of relevant parameters such as the altitude of the inverted-V potential, Alfv¿n wave amplitude, wave velocity, and source electron population. The energies to which Alfv¿n waves can accelerate electrons are primarily determined by the peak Alfv¿n speed below the DC potential drop and to a lesser extent by the amplitude of the wave parallel electric field. The observed electron signatures can be used to obtain information about the peak Alfv¿n speed, the wave parallel electric field, the DC electric field, and plasma environment through which the waves propagate.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Space Plasma Physics, Wave/particle interactions (2483, 6984), Ionosphere, Auroral ionosphere, Ionosphere, Particle acceleration, Ionosphere, Ionosphere/magnetosphere interactions, Magnetospheric Physics, Numerical modeling, electron acceleration, Alfvén waves, resonant interaction, wave-particle interaction
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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