Modeling of the thermal plasma in the outer plasmasphere - A magnetospheric heat sourceA case study has been carried out using data from the Dynamics Explorer 1 and 2 spacecraft to study the effect of Coulomb interactions between ring current and suprathermal O(+) and thermal protons on the plasmasphere. Results from a one-dimensional plasmaspheric model suggest that heating due to Coulomb collisions may be sufficient to raise the ion and electron temperatures to observed values. The resultant high temperature produced enhancements in the model O(+) and O(++) densities in agreement with observations.
Document ID
19890026419
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Chandler, M. O. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Kozyra, J. U. (Michigan, University Ann Arbor, United States)
Horwitz, J. L. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Comfort, R. H. (Alabama, University Huntsville, United States)
Brace, L. H. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 14, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1988
Subject Category
Geophysics
Meeting Information
Meeting: Huntsville Workshop on Magnetosphere/Ionosphere Plasma Models