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Current carrying properties of double layers and low frequency auroral fluctuations
Author(s) -
Singh Nagendra,
Schunk R. W.
Publication year - 1982
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/gl009i004p00446
Subject(s) - ion , current (fluid) , plasma , electron , atomic physics , physics , langmuir probe , double layer (biology) , ion current , computational physics , materials science , layer (electronics) , plasma diagnostics , nuclear physics , thermodynamics , nanotechnology , quantum mechanics
Numerical simulations showed recurring interruption and recovery of electron and ion currents through double layers. The time period τ of the recurring phenomena is governed by the ion dynamics; for ions with a drift V i entering the simulation plasma such that V i ≲V ti , the ion thermal speed, τ is governed by the ion transit time from the location of ion injection to the location of the double layer. On the other hand, when V i >V ti ion‐acoustic modes also appear in the electron‐ and ion‐current fluctuations. The electron current fluctuations are governed by the ion current through the Langmuir criterion. It is suggested that some low frequency auroral fluctuations could possibly be explained by current fluctuations through double layers.