Non-Maxwellian ion velocity distributions observed using EISCAT
Recent observations from the EISCAT incoherent scatter radar have revealed bursts of poleward ion flow in the dayside auroral ionosphere which are consistent with the ionospheric signature of flux transfer events at the magnetopause. These bursts frequently contain ion drifts which exceed the neutra...
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American Geophysical Union
1987
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Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/522859/ https://doi.org/10.1029/GL014i002p00111 |
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:522859 2023-05-15T16:04:25+02:00 Non-Maxwellian ion velocity distributions observed using EISCAT Lockwood, M. Bromage, B.J.I. Horne, Richard B. St-Maurice, J.-P. Willis, D.M. Cowley, S.W.H. 1987-02 http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/522859/ https://doi.org/10.1029/GL014i002p00111 unknown American Geophysical Union Lockwood, M.; Bromage, B.J.I.; Horne, Richard B. orcid:0000-0002-0412-6407 St-Maurice, J.-P.; Willis, D.M.; Cowley, S.W.H. 1987 Non-Maxwellian ion velocity distributions observed using EISCAT. Geophysical Research Letters, 14 (2). 111-114. https://doi.org/10.1029/GL014i002p00111 <https://doi.org/10.1029/GL014i002p00111> Publication - Article PeerReviewed 1987 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1029/GL014i002p00111 2023-02-04T19:48:04Z Recent observations from the EISCAT incoherent scatter radar have revealed bursts of poleward ion flow in the dayside auroral ionosphere which are consistent with the ionospheric signature of flux transfer events at the magnetopause. These bursts frequently contain ion drifts which exceed the neutral thermal speed and, because the neutral thermospheric wind is incapable of responding sufficiently rapidly, toroidal, non‐Maxwellian ion velocity distributions are expected. The EISCAT observations are made with high time resolution (15 seconds) and at a large angle to the geomagnetic field (73.5°), allowing the non‐Maxwellian nature of the distribution to be observed remotely for the first time. The observed features are also strongly suggestive of a toroidal distribution: characteristic spectral shape, increased scattered power (both consistent with reduced Landau damping and enhanced electric field fluctuations) and excessively high line‐of‐sight ion temperatures deduced if a Maxwellian distribution is assumed. These remote sensing observations allow the evolution of the distributions to be observed. They are found to be non‐Maxwellian whenever the ion drift exceeds the neutral thermal speed, indicating that such distributions can exist over the time scale of the flow burst events (several minutes). Article in Journal/Newspaper EISCAT Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Geophysical Research Letters 14 2 111 114 |
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Open Polar |
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Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
unknown |
description |
Recent observations from the EISCAT incoherent scatter radar have revealed bursts of poleward ion flow in the dayside auroral ionosphere which are consistent with the ionospheric signature of flux transfer events at the magnetopause. These bursts frequently contain ion drifts which exceed the neutral thermal speed and, because the neutral thermospheric wind is incapable of responding sufficiently rapidly, toroidal, non‐Maxwellian ion velocity distributions are expected. The EISCAT observations are made with high time resolution (15 seconds) and at a large angle to the geomagnetic field (73.5°), allowing the non‐Maxwellian nature of the distribution to be observed remotely for the first time. The observed features are also strongly suggestive of a toroidal distribution: characteristic spectral shape, increased scattered power (both consistent with reduced Landau damping and enhanced electric field fluctuations) and excessively high line‐of‐sight ion temperatures deduced if a Maxwellian distribution is assumed. These remote sensing observations allow the evolution of the distributions to be observed. They are found to be non‐Maxwellian whenever the ion drift exceeds the neutral thermal speed, indicating that such distributions can exist over the time scale of the flow burst events (several minutes). |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lockwood, M. Bromage, B.J.I. Horne, Richard B. St-Maurice, J.-P. Willis, D.M. Cowley, S.W.H. |
spellingShingle |
Lockwood, M. Bromage, B.J.I. Horne, Richard B. St-Maurice, J.-P. Willis, D.M. Cowley, S.W.H. Non-Maxwellian ion velocity distributions observed using EISCAT |
author_facet |
Lockwood, M. Bromage, B.J.I. Horne, Richard B. St-Maurice, J.-P. Willis, D.M. Cowley, S.W.H. |
author_sort |
Lockwood, M. |
title |
Non-Maxwellian ion velocity distributions observed using EISCAT |
title_short |
Non-Maxwellian ion velocity distributions observed using EISCAT |
title_full |
Non-Maxwellian ion velocity distributions observed using EISCAT |
title_fullStr |
Non-Maxwellian ion velocity distributions observed using EISCAT |
title_full_unstemmed |
Non-Maxwellian ion velocity distributions observed using EISCAT |
title_sort |
non-maxwellian ion velocity distributions observed using eiscat |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union |
publishDate |
1987 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/522859/ https://doi.org/10.1029/GL014i002p00111 |
genre |
EISCAT |
genre_facet |
EISCAT |
op_relation |
Lockwood, M.; Bromage, B.J.I.; Horne, Richard B. orcid:0000-0002-0412-6407 St-Maurice, J.-P.; Willis, D.M.; Cowley, S.W.H. 1987 Non-Maxwellian ion velocity distributions observed using EISCAT. Geophysical Research Letters, 14 (2). 111-114. https://doi.org/10.1029/GL014i002p00111 <https://doi.org/10.1029/GL014i002p00111> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/GL014i002p00111 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
111 |
op_container_end_page |
114 |
_version_ |
1766400038181797888 |