The Current-Voltage Relationship in Auroral Current Sheets.

Abstract

The current-voltage relation within narrow auroral current sheets is examined through the use of high-resolution data from the high altitude Dynamics Explorer 1 satellite. The north-south perpendicular electric field and the east-west magnetic field are shown for three cases in which there are large amplitude, oppositely directed paired electric fields and narrow current sheets. These data are shown to indicate that there is a linear 'Ohm's law' relationship between the current density and the parallel potential drop within the narrow current sheets. This linear relationship had previously been verified for large-scale auroral formations greater than 20 km wide at the ionosphere. The evidence shown here extends our knowledge down to the scale size of discrete auroral arcs. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1986
Accession Number
ADA169074

Entities

People

  • C. K. Goertz
  • D. R. Weimer
  • Donald A. Gurnett
  • J D Menietti
  • James L. Burch

Organizations

  • University of Iowa

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Altitude
  • Amplitude
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Current Density
  • Distribution Functions
  • Dynamics
  • Electric Fields
  • Electromagnetic Fields
  • Electromagnetic Radiation
  • Generators
  • High Altitude
  • High Resolution
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Magnetic Mirrors
  • Spacecraft
  • Voltage

Readers

  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics
  • Plasma Physics.
  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster