HR: 17:00h
AN: SM34A-05 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Alfvén Wave Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling in the Auroral Zone
AU: * Kletzing, C A
EM: craig-kletzing@uiowa.edu
AF: University of Iowa, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 203 VAN, Iowa City, IA 52245 United States
AU: Chen, L
EM: li-jen-chen@uiowa.edu
AF: University of Iowa, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 203 VAN, Iowa City, IA 52245 United States
AB: Alfvén waves are one of the key mechanisms through whcih changes in magnetic or electric fields are communicated throughout the magnetospheric system. Of particular interest is the role these waves play in coupling the magnetosphere tio the auroral ionosphere. A brief review of work on this coupling processs from the foundations laid in the 1970's and key results along the way leading to current work is presetned. Recent work to explain dispersive electron events observed simultaneously with quasi-static inverted-V electrons is discussed which shows that Alfvén waves can explain these dynamic features observed by multiple sounding rocket experiments. Systematic variation of the various parameter that affect the acceleration of electrons by Alfvén waves shows that the precise signature of this acceleration process can change, but that the overall mechanism is quite robust, suggesting that Alfvén wave acceleration of electronss plays a central role in magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling.
DE: 2431 Ionosphere/magnetosphere interactions (2736)
DE: 2451 Particle acceleration
DE: 2704 Auroral phenomena (2407)
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005