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Results of magnetospheric barium ion cloud experiment of 1971The barium ion cloud experiment involved the release of about 2 kg of barium at an altitude of 31 482 km, a latitude of 6.926 N., and a longitude of 74.395 W. Significant erosion of plasma from the main ion core occurred during the initial phase of the ion cloud expansion. From the motion of the outermost striational filaments, the electric field components were determined to be 0.19 mV/m in the westerly direction and 0.68 mV/m in the inward direction. The differences between these components and those measured from balloons flown in the proximity of the extremity of the field line through the release point implied the existence of potential gradients along the magnetic field lines. The deceleration of the main core was greater than theoretically predicted. This was attributed to the formation of a polarization wake, resulting in an increase of the area of interaction and resistive dissipation at ionospheric levels. The actual orientation of the magnetic field line through the release point differed by about 10.5 deg from that predicted by magnetic field models that did not include the effect of ring current.
Document ID
19750009803
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Other - NASA Technical Report (TR)
Authors
Adamson, D.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Fricke, C. L.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Long, S. A. T.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Date Acquired
September 3, 2013
Publication Date
March 1, 1975
Subject Category
Geophysics
Report/Patent Number
L-9914
NASA-TR-R-437
Accession Number
75N17875
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 879-11-36-01
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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