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The cleft ion fountain - A two-dimensional kinetic modelThe transport of ionospheric ions from a source in the polar cleft ionosphere through the polar magnetosphere is investigated using a two-dimensional, kinetic, trajectory-based code. The transport model includes the effects of gravitation, longitudinal magnetic gradient force, convection electric fields, and parallel electric fields. Individual ion trajectories as well as distribution functions and resulting bulk parameters of density, parallel average energy, and parallel flux for a presumed cleft ionosphere source distribution are presented for various conditions to illustrate parametrically the dependences on source energies, convection electric field strengths, ion masses, and parallel electric field strengths. The essential features of the model are consistent with the concept of a cleft-based ion fountain supplying ionospheric ions to the polar magnetosphere, and the resulting plasma distributions and parameters are in general agreement with recent low-energy ion measurements from the DE 1 satellite.
Document ID
19860025588
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Horwitz, J. L.
(Alabama, University Huntsville, United States)
Lockwood, M.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
October 1, 1985
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 90
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
86A10326
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS8-33982
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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