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Preferential heating of light ions during an ionospheric Ar(+) injection experimentThe Argon Release for Controlled Studies (ARCS) 4 sounding rocket was launched northward into high altitude from Poker Flat Research Range on February 23, 1990. The vehicle crossed geomagnetic field lines containing discrete auroral activity. An instrumented subpayload released 100-eV and 200-eV Ar(+) ion beams sequentially, in a direction largely perpendicular to both the local geomagnetic field and the subpayload spin axis. The instrumented main payload was separated along field lines from the beam emitting subpayload by a distance which increased at a steady rate of approximately 2.4 m/s. Three dimensional mass spectrometric ion observations of ambient H(+) and O(+) ions, obtained on board the main payload, are presented. Main payload electric field observations in the frequency range 0-16 kHz, are also presented. These observations are presented to demonstrate the operation of transverse ion acceleration, which was differential with respect to ion mass, primarily during 100-eV beam operations. The preferential transverse acceleration of ambient H(+) ions, as compared with ambient O(+) ions, during the second, third, fourth, and fifth 100-eV beam operations, is attributed to a resonance among the injected Ar(+) ions, beam-generated lower hybrid waves, and H(+) ions in the tail of the ambient thermal distribution. This work provides experimental support of processes predicted by previously published theory and simulations.
Document ID
19960011425
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
doi:10.1029/94JA03238
Authors
Pollock, C. J. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Chandler, M. O. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Moore, T. E. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Arnoldy, R. L. (New Hampshire Univ. Durham, NH., United States)
Kintner, P. M. (Cornell Univ. Ithaca, NY., United States)
Chesney, S. (Cornell Univ. Ithaca, NY., United States)
Cahill, L. J., Jr. (Minnesota Univ. Minneapolis, MN., United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
August 1, 1995
Publication Information
Publisher: American Geophysical Union
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Geophysics
Report/Patent Number
NASA-CR-200044
NIPS-96-07298
PAPER JA03238
NAS 1.26:200044
Accession Number
96N17861
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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