Observation of field aligned ion and electron beams from SCATHA (P78-2)

Intense field-aligned beams of ions and electrons have been observed by electrostatic analyzers on the SCATHA (P78-2) satellite. The beams have peaked energy spectra with energies ranging from tens of eV to several keV. These beams show a strong local time dependence, with occurrence frequencies peaking near local midnight. The occurrence frequencies of these beams are also positively correlated with Kp. Comparisons have been done with S3-3 observations of field-aligned ion fluxes, suggesting a direct relationship between acceleration of ions at low altitude in the auroral region and the observations of field aligned beams at the equator near synchronous orbit.