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Title:
Parallel electric fields in the upward current region of the aurora: Numerical solutions
Authors:
Ergun, R. E.; Andersson, L.; Main, D.; Su, Y.-J.; Newman, D. L.; Goldman, M. V.; Carlson, C. W.; McFadden, J. P.; Mozer, F. S.
Affiliation:
AA(Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80303), AB(Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80303), AC(Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80303), AD(Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80303), AE(Center for Integrated Plasma Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80303), AF(Center for Integrated Plasma Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80303), AG(Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720), AH(Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720), AI(Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720)
Publication:
Physics of Plasmas, Volume 9, Issue 9, pp. 3695-3704 (2002). (PhPl Homepage)
Publication Date:
09/2002
Origin:
AIP
PACS Keywords:
Electric fields; current system, Plasma dynamics and flow, Plasma sheaths, Fokker-Planck and Vlasov equation
Abstract Copyright:
(c) 2002: American Institute of Physics.
DOI:
10.1063/1.1499121
Bibliographic Code:
2002PhPl....9.3695E

Abstract

Direct observations of the parallel electric field by the Fast Auroral Snapshot satellite and the Polar satellite suggest that the ionospheric boundary of the auroral cavity is consistent with an oblique double layer that carries a substantial fraction (roughly 5% to 50%) of the auroral potential. A numerical solution to the Vlasov-Poisson equations of a planar, oblique double layer reproduces many of the properties of the observed electric fields, electron distributions, and ion distributions. The solutions indicate that the electron and ion distributions that emerge from the ionospheric side dominate the structure of the double layer. The ionospheric electron distribution includes scattered and reflected (mirrored) primaries, auroral secondaries, photoelectrons, and a cold population. A large fraction of the ionospheric electrons is reflected by the parallel electric field whereas the ionospheric ions are strongly accelerated. The steep density gradient between the ionosphere and the auroral cavity results in a highly asymmetric double layer, with a strong, localized positive charge layer on the ionospheric side and a moderate, extended negative charge layer on the auroral cavity side. This structure results in an asymmetric electric field, a feature also seen in the observations. The electric field observations, however, do not always support a planar double layer since the parallel and perpendicular signals are not always well correlated. Fully two-dimensional solutions are needed to better reproduce the observed features.
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