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Superthermal Electron Energy Interchange in the Ionosphere-Plasmasphere SystemA self-consistent approach to superthermal electron (SE) transport along closed field lines in the inner magnetosphere is used to examine the concept of plasmaspheric transparency, magnetospheric trapping, and SE energy deposition to the thermal electrons. The dayside SE population is generated both by photoionization of the thermosphere and by secondary electron production from impact ionization when the photoelectrons collide with upper atmospheric neutral particles. It is shown that a self-consistent approach to this problem produces significant changes, in comparison with other approaches, in the SE energy exchange between the plasmasphere and the two magnetically conjugate ionospheres. In particular, plasmaspheric transparency can vary by a factor of two depending on the thermal plasma content along the field line and the illumination conditions of the two conjugate ionospheres. This variation in plasmaspheric transparency as a function of thermal plasma and ionospheric conditions increases with L-shell, as the field line gets longer and the equatorial pitch angle extent of the fly-through zone gets smaller. The inference drawn from these results is that such a self-consistent approach to SE transport and energy deposition should be included to ensure robustness in ionosphere-magnetosphere modeling networks.
Document ID
20160005854
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Khazanov, G. V.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Glocer, A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Liemohn, M. W.
(Michigan Univ. Ann Arbor, MI, United States)
Himwich, E. W.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Date Acquired
May 5, 2016
Publication Date
February 28, 2013
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Publisher: AGU Publications
Volume: 118
Issue: 2
e-ISSN: 2169-9402
Subject Category
Space Sciences (General)
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN26160
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG12HP00C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Heliophysics
ionosphere
plasmasphere

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