HR: 0800h
AN: SM51B-1292 [Abstracts]
TI: The Fate of Thermal Outflowing Terrestrial Ions Under Various IMF Conditions
AU: * Howarth, A
EM: howarth@phys.ucalgary.ca
AF: University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4
Canada
AU: Yau, A W
EM: yau@phys.ucalgary.ca
AF: University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4
Canada
AB:
Plasma from the high latitude ionosphere is continuously flowing to the magnetosphere, transferring both mass and energy
between the two regions. This outflow is caused by a number of mechanisms, both in the polar cap and auroral zone, including
the polar wind, photoelectron heating, wave-particle interactions and others. External influences such as the solar wind
pressure and Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) have been shown to affect the rate of outflow as well as the destination of
the outflowing particles. Of particular interest is the role ionospheric convection plays, which in turn is controlled in
large part by the IMF. Single particle tracing methods combined with Akebono particle and SuperDARN HF radar data are used to
study the influence the IMF and convection electric field have on the fate of low energy (a few eV) outflowing ions.
Particles are traced using the guiding center equations of motion for over 100 events using observed particle, IMF, and
convection electric field data. The effect the IMF By and Bz components as well as the IMF magnitude have on various aspects
of thermal outflow will be presented.
DE: 2463 Plasma convection (2760)
DE: 2736 Magnetosphere/ionosphere interactions (2431)
DE: 2744 Magnetotail
DE: 2760 Plasma convection (2463)
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005