M. M. Mogilevsky

Branches of electrostatic turbulence inside solitary plasma structures in the auroral ionosphere

The excitation of electrostatic turbulence inside space-observed solitary structures is a central topic of this exposition. Three representative solitary structures observed in the topside auroral ionosphere as large-amplitude nonlinear signatures in the electric field and magnetic-field-aligned current on the transverse scales of ∼102–103u2009m are evaluated by the theories of electrostatic wave generation in inhomogeneous background configurations. A quantitative analysis shows that the structures are, in general, effective in destabilizing the inhomogeneous energy-density-driven (IEDD) waves, as well as of the ion acoustic waves modified by a shear in the parallel drift of ions. It is demonstrated that the dominating branch of the electrostatic turbulence is determined by the interplay of various driving sources inside a particular solitary structure. The sources do not generally act in unison, so that their common effect may be inhibiting for excitation of electrostatic waves of a certain type. In the pre...

Inhomogeneities of plasma density and electric field as sources of electrostatic turbulence in the auroral region

Inhomogeneities of plasma density and non-uniform electric fields are compared as possible sources of a sort of electrostatic ion cyclotron waves that can be identified with broadband extremely low frequency electrostatic turbulence in the topside auroral ionosphere. Such waves are excited by inhomogeneous energy-density-driven instability. To gain a deeper insight in generation of these waves, computational modeling is performed with various plasma parameters. It is demonstrated that inhomogeneities of plasma density can give rise to this instability even in the absence of electric fields. By using both satellite-observed and model spatial distributions of plasma density and electric field in our modeling, we show that specific details of the spatial distributions are of minor importance for the wave generation. The solutions of the nonlocal inhomogeneous energy-density-driven dispersion relation are investigated for various ion-to-electron temperature ratios and directions of wave propagation. The relev...

Features of wave excitation of the electrostatic ion cyclotron type in the auroral ionosphere

Broadband electrostatic noise in the auroral ionosphere can be identified as a version of waves of an electrostatic ion cyclotron type, excited by plasma instability resulting from an inhomogeneous distribution of wave energy density. Broadband waves are generated due to both electric field inhomogeneities and plasma density inhomogeneities. The effect of the form of the distribution of electric field and plasma density inhomogeneities on the excitation of instabilities is studied. Also there is shown the role of the characteristic scale of inhomogeneities in the generation of electrostatic ion cyclotron waves due to the development of instability of this kind. The study of these issues, which are important for understanding the processes in the auroral region, is the subject of this paper. The work presents also a comparison of numerical results obtained using both satellite data and model approximations.

Calibration of Electric Field Sensors Onboard the Resonance Satellite

Strategies and results for calibrating electric field sensors (antennas), as used in radio astronomy, onboard the spacecraft “Resonance” are presented. Calibration is performed for four boom antennas and four cylindrical sensors at the boom tips. These antennas are devised for the measurement of electric fields and plasma parameters. It is shown that the electrical representations of the antennas, the effective length vectors, differ from their mechanical originals and are shortened and tilted by several degrees of angle. The knowledge of the acquired parameters is of great benefit to the Resonance mission. In particular, goniopolarimetry techniques like polarization analysis and direction finding depend crucially on the effective axes. For the first time, this kind of analysis is performed for a space-borne antenna system consisting of boom monopoles and cylindrical tip antennas.

Resonance spacecraft antenna calibration: Rheometry and numerical simulations

We report on the calibration effort for the monopole antennas onboard the Resonance spacecraft. The calibration is performed for four boom antennas and four cylindrical sensors at the boom tips. These antennas are devised for the measurement of electrical fields and plasma parameters. We apply two methods for the antenna analysis: first, electrolytic tank measurements (rheometry), which is a method to determine the effective length vectors of electrically short antennas; second, numerical computer simulations which enable us to study also the transition to higher frequencies. The accuracy of the applied methods is about 1 degree for directions of effective axes and some percent for effective lengths and antenna capacitances. It is shown that the electrical representations of the antennas, the effective length vector, differ from their mechanical originals, are shortened and tilted by several degrees of angle. The knowledge of the acquired parameters is of great benefit to the Resonance mission. In particular, goniopolarimetry techniques like polarization analysis and direction finding depend crucially on the effective axes. For the first time this kind of analysis is performed for a spaceborne antenna system consisting of boom monopoles and cylindrical tip antennas.

Influences of shear in the ion parallel drift velocity and of inhomogeneous perpendicular electric field on generation of oblique ion acoustic waves

It is well known that the broadband electrostatic turbulence observed in the topside auroral ionosphere can be identified with electrostatic ion cyclotron and/or oblique ion acoustic waves. Under certain conditions generation of the ion cyclotron modes is inhibited, so that the oblique ion acoustic waves become the prevailing part of the broadband noise. While generation of ion cyclotron waves by the inhomogeneous distribution of energy density (IEDD) instability has been actively studied in recent years, much less attention was paid to the excitation of ion acoustic waves by means of the IEDD instability. In this work, influence of shear in the ion parallel drift velocities and of inhomogeneous perpendicular electric field on generation of nonlocal oblique ion acoustic mode is studied. It is demonstrated that the shear of the ion parallel drift velocities can generate ion acoustic waves. It is shown that this mechanism of instability development provides broadband spectrum in the frequency range around 0.1 of ion gyrofrequency, and thus, this instability can be invoked to explain the observed broadband electrostatic turbulence in the auroral region. Effect of the main background plasma parameters on excitation of oblique ion acoustic waves is analyzed.

Fractal approach to the description of the auroral region

The plasma of the auroral region, where energetic particles precipitate from the magnetosphere into the ionosphere, is highly inhomogeneous and nonstationary. In this case, traditional methods of classical plasma physics turn out to be inapplicable. In order to correctly describe the dynamic regimes, transition processes, fluctuations, and self-similar scalings in this region, nonlinear dynamics methods based of the concepts of fractal geometry and percolation theory can be used. In this work, the fractal geometry and percolation theory are used to describe the spatial structure of the ionospheric conductivity. The topological properties, fractal dimensions, and connective indices characterizing the structure of the Pedersen and Hall conductivities on the nightside auroral zone are investigated theoretically. The restrictions imposed on the fractal estimates by the condition of ionospheric current percolation are analyzed. It is shown that the fluctuation scalings of the electric fields and auroral glow observed in the auroral zone fit well the restrictions imposed by the critical condition on the percolation of the Pedersen current. Thus, it is demonstrated that the fractal approach is a promising and convenient method for studying the properties of the ionosphere.

Excitation of ion-acoustic waves in the high-latitude ionosphere

The broadband electrostatic turbulence generally observed in the high-latitude ionosphere is a superposition of nonlocal waves of ion-acoustic and ion-cyclotron types. In the presence of a shear of ion parallel velocity, ion-acoustic modes can be induced by an instability emerging due to an inhomogeneous distribution of energy density. This paper is devoted to the studies of excitation of oblique ion-acoustic wave in background configurations with inhomogeneous profiles of both electric field and ion parallel velocity. A numerical algorithm has been developed, and instability was simulated at various parameters of background plasma. The general possibility of oblique ion-acoustic wave generation by a gradient of ion parallel velocity is shown. In this case, the wave spectrum is found to be broadband, which agrees with satellite observations.

Application of nonlinear methods to the study of ionospheric plasma

Most of the processes taking place in the auroral region of Earths ionosphere are reflected in a variety of dynamic forms of the aurora borealis. In order to study these processes it is necessary to consider temporary and spatial variations of the characteristics of ionospheric plasma. Most traditional methods of classical physics are applicable mainly for stationary or quasi-stationary phenomena, but dynamic regimes, transients, fluctuations, selfsimilar scaling could be considered using the methods of nonlinear dynamics. Special interest is the development of the methods for describing the spatial structure and the temporal dynamics of auroral ionosphere based on the ideas of percolation theory and fractal geometry. The fractal characteristics (the Hausdorff fractal dimension and the index of connectivity) of Hall and Pedersen conductivities are used to the description of fractal patterns in the ionosphere. To obtain the self-consistent estimates of the parameters the Hausdorff fractal dimension and the index of connectivity in the auroral zone, an additional relation describing universal behavior of the fractal geometry of percolation at the critical threshold is applied. Also, it is shown that Tsallis statistics can be used to study auroral ionosphere

RESONANCE Project for Studies of Wave‐Particle Interactions in the Inner Magnetosphere

Dynamics of the E Geophysical Mon