E-Layer Due to Pure Proton Aurora,
Abstract
It is now well-known that in the evening sector of the auroral oval and at latitudes equatorward of the electron precipitation boundary, the auroral E-layer is produced solely by the precipitating energetic protons, the H atoms that are created by charge-exchange collisions of protons, and by the secondary electrons that are generated. A numerical code has been developed to solve the coupled proton-H atom linear transport equations for a pure proton aurora. The solutions give proton and H atom fluxes as a function of altitude, energy, and pitch angle, for a given incident proton flux. From the particle fluxes, energy deposition rates, ionization rates, and electron density profiles (EDP) are calculated. Results of these calculations are presented. Comparisons between calculated EDP and radar measured EDP are shown using nearly coincident satellite data for the incident proton spectra.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 03, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADP006271
Entities
People
- B. Basu
- J. R. Jasperse