The role of heavy ions in the energy content of the plasma of the ring currents of the Earth, Jupiter and Saturn.
Abstract
Probe measurements are compared in an effort to develop a ring-current model. It is noted that stationary ring currents of the magnetospheres of the earth, Jupiter, and Saturn are formed by ions with energies of the order of 100 keV. These ions comprise the main part of the density of the plasma ion component, commensurable with the local energy density of the planetary magnetic fields. Despite the fact that the mass composition of ring-current ions has not yet been identified, there are arguments in favor of an oxygen composition.
- Publication:
-
Solar Wind and Near-Earth Processes
- Pub Date:
- 1986
- Bibcode:
- 1986swne.book...54T
- Keywords:
-
- Earth Magnetosphere;
- Heavy Ions;
- Jupiter (Planet);
- Magnetospheric Ion Density;
- Planetary Magnetospheres;
- Ring Currents;
- Saturn (Planet);
- Ion Temperature;
- Plasma Density;
- Plasma Probes;
- Solar Planetary Interactions;
- Solar Wind;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration;
- Earth Magnetosphere:Currents;
- Jupiter Magnetosphere:Currents;
- Saturn Magnetosphere:Currents