HR: 14:45h
AN: SA23B-04 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: The Role of Charged-Neutral Interactions in the Sun-Earth Connection: How NASA's GEC Investigation Will Contribute to the Understanding of Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Coupling
AU: * Clemmons, J H
EM: james.clemmons@aero.org
AF: The Aerospace Corporation, P. O. Box 92957 Mail Station M2/260, Los Angeles, CA 90009
AB: The role played by charged-neutral collisions in the connection between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere is discussed. The collision process is first examined at the smallest scales, then the collective phenomena of the ionosphere-thermosphere (I-T) system due to its large agglomeration of collisions are presented. The collective effects are compared to the less complex behavior of a collisionless plasma. The collective effects of collisions are then shown to be manifest across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales in the I-T system. The character of the coupling of the I-T system to the magnetosphere is discussed, and the complexities associated with collisionality in the I-T system are shown to be obstacles to understanding. Examples of observations are used to show how comprehensive measurements can resolve the issues. The presentation concludes with an exposition of the manner in which NASA's GEC investigation will address these questions by performing low-altitude, multipoint measurements of the neutral, charged, and electrodynamic environments in collaboration with a large suite of ground-based observational facilities.
DE: 2431 Ionosphere/magnetosphere interactions (2736)
DE: 2441 Ionospheric storms (7949)
DE: 2451 Particle acceleration
DE: 2704 Auroral phenomena (2407)
SC: SPA-Aeronomy [SA]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005