K. A. Lynch

Transverse ion acceleration by localized lower hybrid waves in the topside auroral ionosphere

Up to now, observations had been unable to show conclusively a one-to-one correspondence between perpendicular ion acceleration and a particular type of plasma wave within the O+ source region below 2000 km. In this paper we demonstrate that intense (100–300 mV/m) lower hybrid waves are responsible for transversely accelerating H+ and O+ ions to characteristic energies of up to 6 eV. This wave-particle interaction takes place in thin filamentary density cavities oriented along geomagnetic field lines. The measurements we discuss were conducted in the nightside auroral zone at altitudes between 500 km and 1100 km. Our results are consistent with theories of lower hybrid wave condensation and collapse.

SCIFER‐Transverse ion acceleration and plasma waves

SCIFER encountered the cleft ion fountain within the cleft ionosphere at 1000 MLT and 1400 km altitude where it was possible to investigate the fine structure of transverse ion acceleration (TIA). Latitudinally narrow (30 km) regions of TIA were found to be closely correlated with broadband low frequency electric fields and reduced ionospheric density. The low frequency electric fields extended up to a few kHz with the largest amplitudes of about 10-20 mV/m p-p occurring below 400 Hz. No spectral features ordered by the ion cyclotron frequencies were observed. Outside regions of TIA the ionospheric density was typically 2×10 3 cm -3 while inside regions of TIA the density dropped to 5×10 2 cm -3 . The correlation between TIA, reduced ionospheric density and broadband low frequency electric fields is so exact, sometimes within a few hundred meters, we interpret the broadband low frequency electric fields as current-driven electrostatic waves, perhaps a mixture of ion cyclotron and ion acoustic waves.

Interferometric determination of broadband ELF wave phase velocity within a region of transverse auroral ion acceleration

Broadband electric field fluctuations with typical amplitudes of 10–20 mV/m peak-to-peak and frequencies from 0 Hz to 3 kHz (BB-ELF) were observed coincident with a region of ≤200 eV transverse H+ acceleration (TAI) near the poleward edge of the pre-midnight aurora. The coherence and phase velocity of the electric fields were measured using a interferometric antenna array over the frequency range of ≈ 100 Hz to 3 kHz. These electric field fluctuations were found to have the following characteristics: 1) incoherence perpendicular to the geomagnetic field, 2) coherence parallel to the the geomagnetic field, 3) parallel phase velocity (ω/k∥) of 30–35 km/s upwards, 4) 0 < |k∥/k⟂| < 0.22. We show that these properties are compatible with the emission being electrostatic H+ cyclotron (EHC) waves. We also discuss possible generation mechanisms for the waves, and their relationship to the TAI.

The AMICIST auroral sounding rocket: A comparison of transverse ion acceleration mechanisms

Recent auroral sounding rocket data illustrate the relative significance of two transverse acceleration of ion (TAI) mechanisms for initiating nightside auroral ion outflow. First, the new data from this two payload mission show clearly that for lower hybrid solitary wave events, a) these individual events are spatially localized to scales approximately 100 m wide perpendicular to B, and b) the probability of occurrence of the events is greatest at times of maximum VLF wave intensity. Second, ion acceleration by broadband, low frequency electrostatic waves is observed in a 30 km wide region at the poleward edge of the arc. The fluxes from this and other sounding rockets are shown to be consistent with DE-1 and Freja outflow measurements, indicating that the AMICIST observations show the low altitude, microphysical signatures of nightside auroral outflow from TAI.

First observation of meteoritic charged dust in the tropical mesosphere

We discuss a recent sounding rocket experiment which found charged dust in the Earths tropical mesosphere. The dust detector was designed to measure small (5000–10000 amu) charged dust particles, most likely of meteoric origin. A 5 km thick layer of positively charged dust was found at an altitude of 90 km, in the vicinity of an observed sporadic sodium layer and sporadic E layer. The observed dust was positively charged in the bulk of the dust layer, but was negatively charged near the bottom.

Bursts of transverse ion acceleration at rocket altitudes

High time resolution ion mass spectrometer distribution function measurements and wave data from a sounding rocket flight over an aurora have revealed the fine structure of the transverse ion acceleration mechanism in the upper ionosphere. The transversely accelerated ion (TAI) events can occur in a volume with a cross-field dimension as small as several tens of meters and thus appear as 50–100 ms ion bursts due to the rocket payload motion. Bulk heating to a characteristic energy of several eV and tail heating in the direction perpendicular to B of a few percent of ambient ions to a characteristic energy the order of 10 eV occur for both hydrogen and oxygen ions. The TAI at 90° pitch angle occur in localized regions of intense lower hybrid waves and in regions of density depletion. On close examination of the correlation between the wave bursts and the TAI it is believed that the waves produce the ion acceleration. The TAI occur during periods of field-aligned auroral electron bursts. Finally, near 1000 km altitude they occur about once every second. If the event presented here is considered average, the flux of TAI oxygen ions above 7 eV could account for the ion conic fluxes measured by the ISIS spacecraft.

Energy and pitch angle‐dispersed auroral electrons suggesting a time‐variable, inverted‐V potential structure

High temporal resolution electron detectors aboard the PHAZE II rocket flight have shown that the energy-dispersed, field-aligned bursts (FABs) are time coincident with pitch angle-dispersed electrons having energies at the maximum voltage of the inverted-V potential. This modulation of the energetic inverted-V electrons is superimposed upon an energy-diffused background resulting in a peak-to-valley ratio of ∼2 for the pitch angle-dispersed electrons. Since the characteristic energy of the FABs, the order of an eV, is considerably less than that of the plasma sheet electrons (the order of a keV) presumably falling through the inverted-V potential to create the discrete aurora, the modulation mechanism has to be independent of the electron temperature. The mechanism must accelerate the cold electrons over a range of energies from the inverted-V energy down to a few tens of eV. It must do this at the same time it is creating a population of hot, pitch angle-dispersed electrons at the inverted-V energy. Both the energy dispersion of the FABs and the pitch angle dispersion of the inverted-V electrons can be used to determine a source height assuming both populations start from the same source region at the same time. These calculations give source heights between 3500 and 5300 km for various events and disagreement between the two methods the order of 20%, which is within the rather substantial error limits of both calculations. A simple mechanism of providing a common start time for both populations of electrons would be a turning on/off of a spatially limited (vertically), inverted-V potential. The energy-dispersed FABs can be reconstructed at rocket altitudes if one assumes that cold electrons are accelerated to an energy determined by how much of the inverted-V potential they fall through when it is turned on. Similarly, the pitch angle-dispersed, inverted-V electrons can be modeled at rocket altitudes if one assumes that the plasma sheet electrons falling through the entire potential drop all start to do so at the same time when the potential is turned on. The FABs seem to fluctuate at either ∼10 Hz or near 100 Hz. An important constraint of the on/off mechanism is whether cold electrons (1 eV) can fill the inverted-V volume during the off cycle. The maximum vertical height of the 10 kV potential region for the 10 Hz events would be the order of 100 and 10 km for the 100 Hz events. To get 10 kV, these heights require parallel electric fields of 0.1 and 1 V/m respectively for the 10 and 100 Hz events assuming that the filling is along B from below the inverted-V potential. Alternative mechanisms are also discussed in the light of the data presented.

Auroral ion acceleration from lower hybrid solitary structures: A summary of sounding rocket observations

In this paper we present a review of sounding rocket observations of the ion acceleration seen in nightside auroral zone lower hybrid solitary structures. Observations from Topaz3, Amicist, and Phaze2 are presented on various spatial scales, including the two-point measurements of the Amicist mission. From this collection of observations we will demonstrate the following characteristics of transverse acceleration of ions (TAI) in lower hybrid solitary structures (LHSS). The ion acceleration process is narrowly confined to 90° pitch angle, in spatially confined regions of up to a few hundred meters across B. The acceleration process does not affect the thermal core of the ambient distribution and does not directly create a measurable effect on the ambient ion population outside the LHSS themselves. This precludes observation with these data of any nonlinear feedback between the ion acceleration and the existence or evolution of the density irregularities on which these LHSS events grow. Within the LHSS region the acceleration process creates a high-energy tail beginning at a few times the thermal ion speed. The ion acceleration events are closely associated with localized wave events. Accelerated ions bursts are also seen without a concurrent observation of a localized wave event, for two possible reasons. In some cases, the pitch angles of the accelerated tail ions are elevated above perpendicular; that is, the acceleration occurred below the observer and the mirror force has begun to act upon the distribution, moving it upward from the source. In other cases, the accelerated ion structure is spatially larger than the wave event structure, and the observation catches only the ion event. The occurrence rate of these ion acceleration events is related to the ambient environment in two ways: its altitude dependence can be modeled with the parameter B 2 /n e , and it is highest in regions of intense VLF activity. The cumulative ion outflow from these LHSS TAI is consistent with Freja statistics for VLF-type premidnight auroral upflow.

Quasiperiodic oscillations observed at the edge of an auroral arc by auroral turbulence 2

The Auroral Turbulence II (AT2) sounding rocket carried three payloads into the auroral ionosphere where they crossed several arc structures. At the border of an auroral arc a quasiperiodic structure was observed by the magnetic and electric field instruments as well as by the particle detectors. The variations were temporal oscillations, but existed only in a narrow (≈ 7 km) region transverse to the arc, with a correlation length along the arc of at least several km. The relation between the electric and magnetic field amplitude indicates the Alfvenic nature of the variations. Field aligned electron precipitation is correlated to the field variations. The narrow band nature of the oscillations and frequency around 0.6 Hz is consistent with waves confined in the ionospheric Alfven resonator.

Electron distribution function behavior during localized transverse ion acceleration events in the topside auroral zone

The Topaz3 auroral sounding rocket made the following observations concerning the transfer of precipitating auroral electron energy to transverse ion acceleration in the topside auroral zone. During the course of the flight, the precipitating electron beam was modified to varying degrees by interaction with VLF hiss, at times changing the beam into a field-aligned plateau. The electron distribution functions throughout the flight are classified according to the extent of this modification, and correspondences with ion acceleration events are sought. The hiss power during most of this rocket flight apparently exceeded the threshold for collapse into solitary structures. At the times of plateaued electron distributions, the collapse of these structures was limited by Landau damping through the ambient ions, resulting in a velocity-dependent acceleration of both protons and oxygen. This initial acceleration is sufficient to supply the number flux of upflowing ions observed at satellite altitudes. The bursty ion acceleration was anticorrelated, on 1-s or smaller timescales, with dispersive bursts of precipitating field-aligned electrons, although on longer timescales the bursty ions and the bursty electrons are correlated.