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Plasmaspheric Plume Turbulence: Signature of an Electrostatic Corotation Convection Shear-Layer InstabilityAs demonstrated by IMAGE-EUV observations, plasmaspheric drainage plumes are a common feature emanating from the plasmasphere during periods of enhanced convection. Concurrent IMAGE-EUV and LANL-MPA observations reveal that plasmaspheric plumes are not a uniform density structure that extends out to geosynchronous orbit and beyond. Instead, in–situ observations reveal a large spatial-scale structure populated by small-scale density structures suggestive of the presence of a turbulent process. Here, we investigate the occurrence and nature of plasmaspheric drainage plumes as observed by concurrent EUV-MPA observations, as well as explore the possibility that the in–situ observed small-scale density structures are the signature of an instability produced by the sheared velocity found within the plasmaspheric layers separating the corotation of the main plasmasphere from the convection-driven flow generating the plume. Particle-in-cell simulations indicate that the generation of shear-flow driven instabilities is possible under plasmaspheric plasma conditions. The initial results of these simulations indicate that the plasmaspheric instabilities generated are electrostatic in nature, consist with in–situ plume observations.
Document ID
20210016975
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Mark L Adrian
(Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, United States)
Date Acquired
June 4, 2021
Subject Category
Space Sciences (General)
Plasma Physics
Meeting Information
Meeting: 22nd International Conference on Electromagnetics in Advanced Applications (ICEAA 2021), 10th IEEE-APS Topical Conference on Antennas and Propagation in Wireless Communications (IEEE-APWC 2021) and the 2021 USNC-URSI Radio Science Meeting
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Country: US
Start Date: August 9, 2021
End Date: August 13, 2021
Sponsors: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Funding Number(s)
WBS: 791926.02.06.01.07.18
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
Technical Review
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