HR: 0830h
AN: SM41B-0560    [PDF]
TI: Kinetic Simulation of Nonlinear Interactions Mediated by Alfven Waves
AU: * Morales, G J
EM: morales@physics.ucla.edu
AF: Physics and Astronomy Dept., UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
AU: Tonge, J
EM: tonge@physics.ucla.edu
AF: Physics and Astronomy Dept., UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
AU: Tsung, F S
EM: tsung@physics.ucla.edu
AF: Physics and Astronomy Dept., UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
AB: An electromagnetic particle-in-cell (PIC) code is used to identify key nonlinear interactions mediated by large amplitude shear Alfven waves that propagate between distant boundaries along the geomagnetic field, as may be of interest to I-M coupling studies. At the upper boundary waves are excited at frequencies below the ion gyrofrequency and with a transverse spatial structure having a scale length comparable to the ion gyroradius or the electron skin-depth. The waves propagate along and across the geomagnetic field and reflect from a lower ionospheric boundary. It is found that strong wave-particle interactions with electrons leads to the distortion of the propagation characteristics of the signals. The reflecting Alfven waves generate a self-consistent current system that flows along the edges of field-aligned density striations that are formed by the large plasma pressure resulting from heating by the Alfvenic electric fields. This work is sponsored by NSF.
DE: 2704 Auroral phenomena (2407)
SC: SPA - Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting