Parallel electric fields produced by ionospheric injection
<p>It is well known that there exists a thin layer in the lower boundary of the ionosphere between altitudes of 80 and 140 km in which collisional ions and collisionless electrons mix. Local breakdown of charge neutrality may be initiated in this layer by electric fields from the magnetosphere...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Annales Geophysicae |
| Online Access: | https://angeo.copernicus.org/articles/41/369/2023/angeo-41-369-2023.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>It is well known that there exists a thin layer in the lower boundary of the
ionosphere between altitudes of 80 and 140 km in which collisional ions
and collisionless electrons mix. Local breakdown of charge neutrality may be
initiated in this layer by electric fields from the magnetosphere as well as
by electric fields generated there by the local neutral winds. The breakdown
may be momentarily canceled by Pedersen currents, but complete neutralization is prevented because some ionospheric plasmas are released as
outflows by parallel electric fields. Those parallel electric fields are
produced by inherent plasma processes in the polar ionosphere and act as
auroral drivers. A new scenario creating parallel potential gradients is
proposed.</p> |
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| ISSN: | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |