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Observations of plasma waves within regions of perpendicular ion acceleration
Author(s) -
Kintner P. M.,
LaBelle J.,
Scales W.,
Yau A. W.,
Whalen B. A.
Publication year - 1986
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/gl013i011p01113
Subject(s) - physics , lower hybrid oscillation , ion , cyclotron , atomic physics , electric field , sounding rocket , amplitude , particle acceleration , acceleration , whistler , ion acoustic wave , plasma , computational physics , optics , nuclear physics , classical mechanics , quantum mechanics , astronomy
The acceleration of ionospheric ions transverse to the geomagnetic field by factors of 10³ is believed to be caused by plasma waves. We have made simultaneous measurements of electric fields (0‐16kHz) and energetic ions (50eV to 20keV) within regions of perpendicular ion acceleration from the sounding rocket MARIE. Perpendicular ion acceleration was correlated with plasma waves near and above the lower hybrid frequency. Ions were detected up to energies of 300 eV and the broadband lower hybrid waves reached an amplitude of 10‐30 mV/m (RMS) over the frequency band 4‐16 kHz. Although electric field amplitudes near the O+ cyclotron frequency reached a maximum value of 10 mV/m (RMS), there was no spectral evidence of electrostatic ion cyclotron waves associated with ion acceleration. There was spectral evidence of H+ Bernstein modes near the lower hybrid frequency. If we assume that whistler mode waves near and above the lower hybrid frequency were responsible for the ion acceleration then the conversion efficiency of wave energy to ion energy was .01 to .1.