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On the role of magnetic mirroring in the auroral phenomena

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Abstract

On the basis of field and particle observations, it is suggested that a bright auroral display is a part of a magnetosphere-ionosphere current system which is fed by a charge-separation process in the outer magnetosphere (or the solar wind). The upward magnetic-field-aligned current is flowing out of the display, carried mainly by downflowing electrons from the hot-particle populations in the outer magnetosphere (the ambient cold electrons being depleted at high altitudes). As a result of the magnetic mirroring of these downflowing current carriers, a large potential drop is set up along the magnetic field, increasing both the number flux and the kinetic energy of precipitating electrons. It is found that this simple basic model, when combined with wave-particle interactions, may be able to explain a highly diversified selection of auroral particle observations. It may thus be possible to explain both ‘inverted-V’ events and auroral rays in terms of a static parallel electric field, and the electric field may be compatible with a strongly variable pitch-angle distribution of the precipitating electrons, including distributions peaked at 90° as well as 0°. This model may also provide a simple explanation of the simultaneous precipitation of electrons and collimated positive ions.

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  1. Dept. of Plasma Physics, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

    Walter Lennartsson

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  1. Walter Lennartsson
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Lennartsson, W. On the role of magnetic mirroring in the auroral phenomena. Astrophys Space Sci 51, 461–495 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00644166

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00644166

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