HR: 09:30h
AN: SM31E-07    [Abstracts]
TI: Polar Spacecraft Observations of Intense Wave Electric Fields in the Inner Magnetosphere
AU: * Wygant, J R
EM: jwygant@ham.space.umn.edu
AF: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
AU: Mozer, F
EM: Fmozer@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: Space Science Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Blake, J B
EM: jBernard.Blake@aerospace.org
AF: Space Science Department, Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA 90009, United States
AU: Scudder, J
EM: jack-scudder@uiowa.edu
AF: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
AU: Pickett, J
EM: jolene-pickett@uiowa.edu
AF: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
AU: Russell, C T
EM: ctrussell@igpp.ucla.edu
AF: I.G.P.P., University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90009, United States
AU: Cattell, C A
EM: cattell@belka.space.umn.edu
AF: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
AU: Dombeck, J
EM: johnd@fields.space.umn.edu
AF: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
AU: Lei, D
EM: ldai@fields.space.umn.edu
AF: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
AB: This talk presents recent observations in the inner magnetosphere of extremely intense lower hybrid electric field structures/waves with amplitudes ranging up to 700 mV/m over the frequency range from 50-300 Hz using burst data from the Berkeley Electric Field Instrument (EFI) on the Polar spacecraft. These are among the most intense waves ever observed in the inner magnetosphere near and within the outer electron radiation belts. The waves were observed on the night-side near the equatorial plane(<30 degrees) at 4>c) dominated by the longitudinal component of the electric field. The wave fields are often found at the edges of order of magnitude density gradients and are associated with electron thermal flux fluctuations that are on the order of 30% of the estimated background electron density. The burst electric field data also provides evidence for 50-100 mV/m discrete bipolar solitary electric field structures directed parallel to the ambient magnetic field with durations on the order of ~ 1 ms imbedded in the large amplitude turbulence. The relation of these waves and structures to quasi-static electric fields associated with substorms, Alfven waves, the PSBL, and the acceleration of energetic electrons and ions will be discussed.
DE: 7829 Kinetic waves and instabilities
DE: 7845 Particle acceleration
DE: 7846 Plasma energization
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting