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At least 55 records · Page 3

Lunar nightside electron fluxes

Studies of particle fluxes at the lunar surface with the Apollo 14 ALSEP/CPLEE particle spectrometer during lunar night periods have shown three distinct types of electron flux events. One of these is shown to originate at the earth's bow shock, but the remaining two are shown to arise most likely as a result of local solar wind-lunar interactions. The flux events had mean electron energies of a few hundred electron volts and total fluxes of 10 to the 5th to 10 to the 7th electrons/sq cm-sec. These fluxes are a possible source of the large negative lunar surface potentials observed by other ALSEP instruments

Reasoner, D. L.↗

Production of flickering aurora and field-aligned electron flux by electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves

Recent observations have suggested that flickering aurora is produced by a modulation of the field-aligned component of the electron flux within an auroral arc. It is proposed that a portion of the field-aligned electrons are of ionospheric origin and that these electrons are accelerated and their flux modulated by electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves that occur below the main acceleration region on auroral arc field lines. A model of the electromagnetic ion cyclotron wave shows that the parallel phase velocity of the wave increase as the wave propagates toward the ionosphere. A test particle calculation shows that ionospheric electrons trapped or reflected by the wave are accelerated to energies of several keV and that their flux is modulated at the wave frequency. The relative amplitudes of the model wave electric fields are consistent with the observations of small-scale low-frequency ionospheric and magnetospheric electric fields near auroral arcs of approximately 10 mV/m and 100 mV/m, respectively. The large-amplitude ion cyclotron waves also produce a ponderomotive force and a self-consistent ambipolar electric field. Energy considerations show that the downward energy flux in the electromagnetic ion cyclotron wave can be several percent of the total downward auroral electron energy flux.

Temerin, M.↗

Pioneer Venus suprathermal electron flux measurements in the Venus umbra

Statistical properties of the two Maxwellian electron densities and temperatures characterizing the differential suprathermal electron fluxes measured by the Pioneer-Venus Lockheed-IPW retarding potential analyzer in the Venus umbra between approximately 1000 and 2000 km altitude and nightward of the 130 deg solar zenith angle are reported. It is found that the median density n2 and temperature T2 of the principal Maxwellian component are 3/cu cm and 14 eV, respectively, and do not exhibit an altitude or solar zenith angle dependence within the umbra region studied. Two thirds of the measured values of n2 and T2 typically fall within plus or minus a factor of two of the median values. The second suprathermal component density n3 is less well defined but has a median density of 0.06/cu cm and similarly exhibits no clear altitude or solar zenith angle dependence.

Knudsen, W. C.↗

Relativistic electrons at geosynchronous orbit, interplanetary electron flux, and the 13-month Jovian synodic year

Results are reported from a search to determine the correlation, if any, between the temporal behaviors of 0.2-7 MeV or higher electrons at GEO (6.6 earth radii) and 6-10 MeV electrons in the interplanetary region near earth at the period of the Jovian synodic year (about 13 months). The 13-month intensity variation results from the synodic interplanetary magnetic field conection of earth to Jupiter. Direct compariosn of intensity-time flux profiles for the years 1976-1984, about 7 synodic Jovian electron seasons, shows that the intensity envelope of peak electron flux at GEO does not appear to be correlated to the observed 13 month intensity envelope of relativistic electron flux in the interplanetary region near earth. A persistent 13-month variation of GEO flux is not obvious, thus indicating that the intensity of electron flux at GEO is not directly and soley related to the intensity of Jovian electron flux near earth. It is concluded that dynamic erergization and redistribution processes in earth's magnetosphere must be invoked to produce the intensity variations of relativistic electron flux at GEO and not interplanetary magnetic field connection to Jupiter.

Christon, S. P.↗

Electron Flux Models for Different Energies at Geostationary Orbit

Forecast models were derived for energetic electrons at all energy ranges sampled by the third-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES). These models were based on Multi-Input Single-Output Nonlinear Autoregressive Moving Average with Exogenous inputs methodologies. The model inputs include the solar wind velocity, density and pressure, the fraction of time that the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) was southward, the IMF contribution of a solar wind-magnetosphere coupling function proposed by Boynton et al. (2011b), and the Dst index. As such, this study has deduced five new 1 h resolution models for the low-energy electrons measured by GOES (30-50 keV, 50-100 keV, 100-200 keV, 200-350 keV, and 350-600 keV) and extended the existing >800 keV and >2 MeV Geostationary Earth Orbit electron fluxes models to forecast at a 1 h resolution. All of these models were shown to provide accurate forecasts, with prediction efficiencies ranging between 66.9% and 82.3%.

Boynton, R. J.↗

Low-energy electron flux and its reaction to active experimentation of Spacelab

An instrument capable of observing the natural electron flux in the energy range from 0.1 to 12.0 kiloelectron volts is discussed for use in an experiment intended as a forerunner of a method that will utilize artificially accelerated electrons as tracer particles for electron fields parallel to the magnetic field. Effects that are of importance either as means of detecting the echo beam or as causes of beam perturbations (e.g., spacecraft charging effects and electron background) are to be studied. The use of electron accelerators as a tool to probe magnetospheric processes rather than to modify them is planned.

Wilhelm, K.↗

Modulation of auroral electron fluxes in the frequency range 50 kHz to 10 MHz

A sounding rocket-borne electron detector of high time resolution is used to search for modulation of auroral electron fluxes in the frequency range 50 kHz to 10 MHz and energy range 5-7 keV. Data were telemetered to ground via a 93-kHz subcarrier. A cross-correlation analysis of the data collected indicates low-level modulation near the detection threshold of the instrument. Two U-1 events are observed which are interpreted as indications of modulation. The two modulation events occur during a period of increasing flux for a region marking the boundary between two current sheets detected by the payload magnetometer. The strongest argument against interference contamination is the lack of any observable modulation at times other than those mentioned in the study.

Spiger, R. J.↗

Surface charge kinetics near metal-dielectric interfaces exposed to kilovolt electron flux

Interfaces between dielectric films and grounded metallic boundaries were exposed, in vacuum, to monoenergic electron fluxes having energies up to 22 keV. Two principal concerns were the measuring of the charge distributions on dielectrics and the determining of causes of flashovers, events where dielectric surface charges abruptly transfer to the metallic structures. Surface charges are perturbed within 10 mm of interfaces. Perturbations are relatively small except within about 3 mm of the interface. The probability of flashover was found to be related to microscopic imperfections in the interfaces. As flashovers occur in an exposed metal substrate, points become burned into the dielectric along the slit. As these points develop, the probability of flashover increases greatly. An interface which is highly immune to flashover was formed by covering a dielectric film with a 1.5-mm-thick aperture plate which exposes the film through a machined opening.

Robinson, J. W.↗

Relativistic electron flux comparisons at low and high altitudes with fast time resolution and broad spatial coverage

Analyses are presented for the first high-time resolution multisatellite study of the spatial and temporal characteristics of a relativistic electron enhancement event with a rapid onset. Measurements of MeV electrons were made from two low-altitude polar orbiting satellites and three spacecraft at synchronous altitude. The electron fluxes observed by the low-altitude satellites include precipitating electrons in both the bounce and drift loss cones as well as electrons that are stably trapped, whereas the observations at geosynchronous altitude are dominated by the trapped population. The fluxes of greater than 1 MeV electrons at low-satellite altitude over a wide range of L shells tracked very well the fluxes greater than 0.93 MeV at synchronous altitude.

Imhof, W. L.↗

Natural and artificially injected electron fluxes near discrete auroral arcs

A sounding rocket payload instrumented in order to inject and observe energetic electron fluxes in the ionospheric plasma was flown from Ft. Churchill into a bright auroral display on 9 April 1978. Measurements of one throw-away detector in three energy channels at 1.9, 4 and 8 keV are discussed in order to relate the observed electron echoes to the prevailing geophysical conditions.

Wilhelm, K.↗

Coordinated ATS-5 electron flux and simultaneous auroral observations, appendix B

All Sky Cameras (ASCA) magnetosphere observations were made at the field line conjugate of the ATS-5 Satellite. The magnetosphere region examined was L=5 to L=11. The correlation of the auroras observed by the ASCA's and the magnetospheric trapped fluxes was studied. It is shown that auroral forms are not simply correlated with the synchronous altitude electron fluxes. The presence of hot plasma at the ATS-5 satellite is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the occurrence of local auroras. On quiet days the hot plasma does not penetrate into the magnetosphere far enough to reach the ATS-5 orbit. Under these conditions no auroras are observed at the field line conjugate, but auroras are usually observed on higher latitude field lines. On more disturbed days, auroral arcs are observed at lower latitudes when the plasma sheet penetrates into the ATS-5 orbit. Significant qualitative correlation between the ASCA data and the trapped fluxes was observed when a local plasma injection event occurred near ATS-5. Magnetograms are shown.

Mende, S. B.↗

Quantitative analysis of bidirectional electron fluxes within coronal mass ejections at 1 AU

The solar wind electron heat flux is carried primarily by suprathermal electrons beamed antisunward along the interplanetary magnetic field. However, analysis of electron observations at 1 AU has shown that counterstreaming electron beams, suggesting closed magnetic structures, prevail within coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These structures might be magnetic 'tongues', magnetically detached plasmoids, or complex flux ropes. Here we show results of analysis of ISEE-3 observations within 39 CMEs, including the asymmetry between the two beams, its control by magnetic field orientation, and the variation of the electron distributions as CMEs convect past the spacecraft. We find that some CMEs are strongly asymmetric, with the antisunward beam generally dominant, while others contain nearly symmetric beams. The beam asymmetries, and the magnetic field orientations, exhibit characteristic trends as CMEs pass over the spacecraft. We present an example of a distinctive 'strahl-on-strahl' distribution, suggesting continued magnetic connection to the corona, in which a narrow antisunward beam is superimposed on a broader beam. Our results favor continuing magnetic connection to the Sun in a tongue or flux rope geometry rather than a fully detached plasmoid.

Phillips, J. L.↗

VLF wave growth from dispersive bursts of field-aligned electron fluxes

Large-amplitude electrostatic whistler waves near the lower hybrid frequency were observed by an auroral sounding rocket during substorm breakup. The measured wavelengths indicate that the emissions were electrostatic and resonant with electrons that had parallel energies of a few hundred electron volts. We propose that the intense emissions drew their energy from dispersive bursts of low-energy, field-aligned electron fluxes. The dispersive bursts are known to cause a brief, but intense instability that results in large-amplitude Langmuir emissions. The high-frequency emissions can rapidly form a plateau in the one-dimensional electron distribution. We show, however, that these distributions remain unstable to electrostatic whistler waves near the lower hybrid frequency. The amplitude and wavelength of the observed emissions were sufficient to accelerate the hydrogen ions with energies between about 50 eV and about 200 eV.

Ergun, R. E.↗