Doubling of Ion Up-flow for Ion Outflow Calculations
Abstract
Estimates of O+ ion escape fluxes from the ionosphere to the magnetosphere, involve the combination of ionospheric O+ up-flow to adequate altitudes for intermediate altitude acceleration processes to boost them into storage in the magnetosphere. Calculations of ambiploar up-flow based on measured ion and electron gas temperatures lead to ion up-flows order 100 m/s in the vicinity of 400 km, but are found to be only order half ion up-flow velocities observed. It has been speculated that this calculated shortfall can be explained by magnetic reconnection, leading to plasma flow jets, in turn leading to frictional drag heating of the thermosphere and consequent upwelling of the neutral rest frame within which ambipolar up-flow occurs. We report here the first direct observations confirming this mechanism for order doubling the ion up-flow speeds. This new perspective needs to be added to thinking within the heavy ion outflow community.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUFMSM51D..08C
- Keywords:
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- 2706 MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS Cusp;
- 2475 IONOSPHERE Polar cap ionosphere;
- 2760 MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS Plasma convection;
- 2471 IONOSPHERE Plasma waves and instabilities