Magnetospheric convection electric field dynamics andstormtime particle energization: case study of the magneticstorm of 4 May 1998

Autor: G. V. Khazanov, M. W. Liemohn, T. S. Newman, M.-C. Fok, A. J. Ridley
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2004
Předmět:
Zdroj: Annales Geophysicae, Vol 22, Pp 497-510 (2004)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0992-7689
1432-0576
DOI: 10.5194/angeo-22-497-2004
Popis: It is shown that narrow channels of high electric field are an effective mechanism for injecting plasma into the inner magnetosphere. Analytical expressions for the electric field cannot produce these channels of intense plasma flow, and thus, result in less entry and adiabatic energization of the plasma sheet into near-Earth space. For the ions, omission of these channels leads to an underprediction of the strength of the stormtime ring current and therefore, an underestimation of the geoeffectiveness of the storm event. For the electrons, omission of these channels leads to the inability to create a seed population of 10-100 keV electrons deep in the inner magnetosphere. These electrons can eventually be accelerated into MeV radiation belt particles. To examine this, the 1-7 May 1998 magnetic storm is studied with a plasma transport model by using three different convection electric field models: Volland-Stern, Weimer, and AMIE. It is found that the AMIE model can produce particle fluxes that are several orders of magnitude higher in the L = 2 – 4 range of the inner magnetosphere, even for a similar total cross-tail potential difference. Key words. Space plasma physics (charged particle motion and acceleration) – Magnetospheric physics (electric fields, storms and substorms)
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