S3-3 Electric Field Research

Abstract

This contract supported the analysis of S3-3 satellite data and the correlation of the results with results from experiments on other spacecraft. The general purpose of these studies has been to characterize auroral electric fields and waves for their own sake because they have interesting nonlinear plasma properties, and to study the relation of these waves and fields to auroral particle acceleration. These studies have been very successful in explaining many auroral phenomena and in advancing our knowledge of auroral physics. Eighty-one publications resulting from this research have appeared in the refereed literature. Discussed in these publications are: (1) the discovery of electrostatic shocks in the aurora acceleration region, including the shocks' parallel fields that produce particle beams, (2) the discovery of double layers and solitary waves in the aurora acceleration region; (3) the discovery of electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves and their role in accelerating electrons and ions; (4) the characterization of the field-aligned currents in the aurora acceleration region; (5) the understanding of ion and electron conic generation by the observed large-amplitude waves and fields.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA247057

Entities

People

  • Forrest S. Mozer
  • Michael A. Temerin

Organizations

  • University of California, Berkeley

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Altitude
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Boundary Layer
  • Charged Particles
  • Cyclotron Waves
  • Doppler Effect
  • Electric Fields
  • Electron Beams
  • Electrons
  • High Latitudes
  • Low Altitude
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Particle Beams
  • Particles
  • Polar Cap
  • Regions
  • Solitons

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Plasma Physics.
  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Microelectronics
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster