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Observations of inverted-V electron precipitation

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Abstract

The characteristics of inverted-V electron precipitation fluxes deduced predominantly from observations by the Atmosphere Explorer satellites are reviewed. The energy and pitch angle distributions are presented and shown to be generally in agreement with acceleration by a parallel electrostatic potential. Characteristics of secondary electrons are examined, and effects of beam plasma instabilities on these electrons are discussed. The properties of the monoenergetic component are compared with theoretical models of creating parallel DC electric fields, and found to favor the anomalous resistivity model. The article also discusses relations of inverted-V events with other auroral phenomena including auroras, electrostatic shocks, convective electric field reversals, field-aligned currents and wave emissions. The principal conclusions are: (1) plasma sheet electrons are continuously accelerated to form inverted-V structures in the pre-midnight hemisphere independent of substorm phase, (2) the acceleration processes are probably related to large scale electrostatic wave turbulence observed at altitudes of a few thousand kilometers, (3) narrow bursts of intense electron precipitation fluxes are found to be imbedded within some inverted-V's. It is argued that the narrow bursts of intense electron precipitation have the proper characteristics to cause discrete auroral arcs in the atmosphere. We suggest that these narrow bursts are accelerated by an electrostatic shock at higher altitude and capable of producing discrete auroral arcs below the observing satellite.

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  1. Department of Space Sciences, Southwest Research Institute, 78284, San Antonio, Tex., USA

    C. S. Lin

  2. Electrodynamic Branch, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, 20771, Greenbelt, Md., USA

    R. A. Hoffman

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Lin, C.S., Hoffman, R.A. Observations of inverted-V electron precipitation. Space Sci Rev 33, 415–457 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00212420

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