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The effect of microscopic turbulence on magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling
Author(s) -
Lysak Robert L.,
Carlson Charles W.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl008i003p00269
Subject(s) - physics , dispersion relation , ionosphere , magnetosphere , alfvén wave , turbulence , collision frequency , coupling (piping) , magnetosphere particle motion , equations of motion , classical mechanics , magnetic field , dispersion (optics) , transverse plane , electron , quantum electrodynamics , computational physics , geophysics , mechanics , magnetohydrodynamics , condensed matter physics , quantum mechanics , mechanical engineering , structural engineering , engineering
The effect of turbulence on the coupling of the magnetosphere and ionosphere has been investigated by including an effective collision frequency in the electron equation of motion. When this term is combined with the continuity equation, the ion equation of motion and Maxwell’s equations, a dispersion relation for the kinetic Alfvén wave including effective collisions is found. The wave‐particle interaction leads to a strong damping of the wave. Inclusion of the effects of plasma sheet kinetics yields a scale size transverse to the magnetic field which corresponds to the size of visual auroral arcs.