Solar wind electron precipitation into the dayside Martian upper atmosphere through the cusps of strong crustal fields

<div> <p>Models of the&#160;geospace&#160;plasma environment have been proceeding towards more realistic descriptions of the solar wind&#8212;magnetosphere interaction, from gas-dynamic to MHD and hybrid ion-kinetic models such as the state-of-the-art&#160;Vlasiator&#160;model.&#160;Advances in computational capabilities have enabled global&#160;simulations of detailed physics, but the electron scale has so far been out of reach in a truly global setting.&#160;</p> </div><div> <p>In this work we present results from eVlasiator, an offshoot of the Vlasiator model, showing first results from a global 2D+3V kinetic electron geospace simulation. Despite truncation of some electron physics and use of ion-scale spatial resolution, we show that realistic electron distribution functions are obtainable within the magnetosphere and describe these in relation to MMS observations. Electron precipitation to the upper atmosphere from these velocity distributions is estimated.</p> </div>

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Photoelectron flux and nightglow emissions of 5577 and 6300 Å due to solar wind electron precipitation in Martian atmosphere

Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres ◽

10.1029/2001ja000261 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 107 (A10) ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

S. P. Seth

Keyword(s):

Solar Wind ◽

Martian Atmosphere ◽

Electron Precipitation ◽

Solar Wind Electron

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A space hurricane over the Earth’s polar ionosphere

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-21459-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Qing-He Zhang ◽

Yong-Liang Zhang ◽

Chi Wang ◽

Kjellmar Oksavik ◽

Larry R. Lyons ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Wind ◽

Upper Atmosphere ◽

Electron Precipitation ◽

Polar Ionosphere ◽

Solar Wind Density ◽

Strong Electron ◽

Energy And Momentum ◽

Zero Flow ◽

Rain Precipitation

AbstractIn Earth’s low atmosphere, hurricanes are destructive due to their great size, strong spiral winds with shears, and intense rain/precipitation. However, disturbances resembling hurricanes have not been detected in Earth’s upper atmosphere. Here, we report a long-lasting space hurricane in the polar ionosphere and magnetosphere during low solar and otherwise low geomagnetic activity. This hurricane shows strong circular horizontal plasma flow with shears, a nearly zero-flow center, and a coincident cyclone-shaped aurora caused by strong electron precipitation associated with intense upward magnetic field-aligned currents. Near the center, precipitating electrons were substantially accelerated to ~10 keV. The hurricane imparted large energy and momentum deposition into the ionosphere despite otherwise extremely quiet conditions. The observations and simulations reveal that the space hurricane is generated by steady high-latitude lobe magnetic reconnection and current continuity during a several hour period of northward interplanetary magnetic field and very low solar wind density and speed.

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Scattering and energization by large-amplitude whistler-mode waves in the evolution of solar wind electron distributions and Hamiltonian analysis of resonant interactions

10.1002/essoar.10505100.1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Tien Vo ◽

Cynthia Cattell ◽

Aaron West ◽

Robert Lysak

Keyword(s):

Solar Wind ◽

Large Amplitude ◽

Whistler Mode ◽

Resonant Interactions ◽

Electron Distributions ◽

Whistler Mode Waves ◽

Hamiltonian Analysis ◽

Solar Wind Electron

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Space Weather, SuperDARN and the Tasmanian Tiger

Australian Journal of Physics ◽

10.1071/p96115 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 773 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Raymond A. Greenwald

Keyword(s):

Solar Wind ◽

Electric Fields ◽

Space Weather ◽

Interplanetary Space ◽

Rapid Evolution ◽

Upper Atmosphere ◽

Global Network ◽

Pressure Gradients ◽

Earth’S Magnetosphere ◽

Earth's Magnetosphere

The plasma environment extending from the solar surface through interplanetary space to the outermost reaches of the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field is dynamic, often disturbed, and capable of harming humans and damaging manmade systems. Disturbances in this environment have been identified as space weather disturbances. At the present time there is growing interest in monitoring and predicting space weather disturbances. In this paper we present some of the difficulties involved in achieving this goal by comparing the processes that drive tropospheric-weather systems with those that drive space-weather systems in the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. The former are driven by pressure gradients which result from processes that heat and cool the atmosphere. The latter are driven by electric fields that result from interactions between the streams of ionised gases emerging from the Sun (solar wind) and the Earth’s magnetosphere. Although the dimensions of the Earth’s magnetosphere are vastly greater than those of tropospheric weather systems, the global space-weather response to changes in the solar wind is much more rapid than the response of tropospheric-weather systems to changing conditions. We shall demonstrate the rapid evolution of space-weather systems in the upper atmosphere through measurements with a global network of radars known as SuperDARN. We shall also describe how the SuperDARN network is evolving, including a newly funded Australian component known as the Tasman International Geospace Environmental Radar (TIGER).

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