Global estimates of plasmaspheric losses during moderate disturbance intervals

Spasojević, M.; Sandel, B. R.

doi:10.5194/angeo-28-27-2010

Cited by 14 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 51 publications

(62 reference statements)

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“…Plumes are usually found in the afternoon and last for days, but weaken in density, width and flux with time. Densities are typically 10–100 cm −3 and fluxes 10 25 to 10 27 ions/s, much of which is lost via dayside reconnection [ Chandler et al , 1999; Moore et al , 2008; Darrouzet et al , 2008, 2009; Borovsky and Denton , 2008; Spasojevic and Sandel , 2010]. Plumes can extend down to the ionosphere [ Foster et al , 2004].…”

Section: Low‐energy Ions and Outflow On The Daysidementioning

confidence: 99%

Low‐energy ions: A previously hidden solar system particle population

André

Cully

2012

Geophysical Research Letters

139

182

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[1] Ions with energies less than tens of eV originate from the Terrestrial ionosphere and from several planets and moons in the solar system. The low energy indicates the origin of the plasma but also severely complicates detection of the positive ions onboard sunlit spacecraft at higher altitudes, which often become positively charged to several tens of Volts. We discuss some methods to observe low-energy ions, including a recently developed technique based on the detection of the wake behind a charged spacecraft in a supersonic flow. Recent results from this technique show that low-energy ions typically dominate the density in large regions of the Terrestrial magnetosphere on the nightside and in the polar regions. These ions also often dominate in the dayside magnetosphere, and can change the dynamics of processes like magnetic reconnection. The loss of this low-energy plasma to the solar wind is one of the primary pathways for atmospheric escape from planets in our solar system. We combine several observations to estimate how common low-energy ions are in the Terrestrial magnetosphere and briefly compare with Mars, Venus and Titan. Citation: André, M., and C. M. Cully (2012), Low-energy ions: A previously hidden solar system particle population, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L03101,

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Section: Low‐energy Ions and Outflow On The Daysidementioning

confidence: 99%

Low‐energy ions: A previously hidden solar system particle population

André

Cully

2012

Geophysical Research Letters

139

182

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“…But magnetic storms can peel off the outer layers of the plasmasphere, which is known to significantly deplete the plasmaspheric density. In addition, significant plasma depletion can occur in the region interior to the shrinking plasmapause probably by the drainage of the plasma into the nighttime ionosphere [Spasojevic and Sandel, 2010]. Then it begins to be refilled during recovery phase of the storms by plasma flow from the underlying ionosphere [Kersley and Klobuchar, 1980;Spasojevic et al, 2003;Dent et al, 2006].…”

Section: Variations With Solar and Geomagnetic Activitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of global plasmaspheric TEC in comparison with the ionosphere simultaneously observed by Jason‐1 satellite

et al. 2013

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[1] We compared the global plasmaspheric total electron content (pTEC) with the ionospheric TEC (iTEC) simultaneously measured by Jason-1 satellite during the declining phase of solar cycle 23 (2002-2009) to investigate the global morphology of the plasmaspheric density in relation to the ionosphere. Our study showed that the plasmaspheric density structures fundamentally follow the ionosphere, but there are also significant differences between them. Although the diurnal variations are very similar to each region, the plasmasphere shows much weaker variations, only approximately 1 TECU day-night difference. By analyzing the day-night differences in the plasmasphere, we found that the plasmaspheric contribution to the nighttime ionosphere does not increase with solar activity and the largest contribution occurs during June solstice. The plasmasphere shows similar seasonal variations to the ionosphere, except for the semiannual variation, which is essentially absent in the plasmasphere. There is also an important difference in the annual variation: although the annual variation in the ionosphere exists regardless of longitude, it occurs only at American sector in the plasmasphere. As solar activity increases to moderate level, the pTEC substantially enhances from approximately 2 to 4 TECU at the initial increase of solar activity below F10.7p = 100 and then quickly slows down while the iTEC almost linearly enhances. Although it is well known that magnetic storms are the major source of plasmaspheric density depletion, pTEC does not show this aspect of the plasmasphere probably due to the relatively small K p values for high magnetic activity

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“…At high geomagnetic activity the outer regions of the plasmasphere (around 50% of the mass) are removed by increased magnetospheric convection, forming plumes. Plumes are usually found in the afternoon and last for days, but weaken in density, width and flux with time (Chandler et al 1999, Borovsky and Denton 2008, Darrouzet et al 2008, Moore et al 2008, Spasojevic and Sandel 2010. Low-energy ions are found just inside the magnetopause, not only in plasmaspheric plumes (Matsui et al 1999, André and Lemaire 2006, Lee and Angelopoulos 2014, and indications of a cold 'plasmaspheric wind' have been found (Dandouras 2013).…”

Section: Ions In Near-earth Spacementioning

confidence: 99%

Previously hidden low-energy ions: a better map of near-Earth space and the terrestrial mass balance

André

2015

Phys. Scr.

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This is a review of the mass balance of planet Earth, intended also for scientists not usually working with space physics or geophysics. The discussion includes both outflow of ions and neutrals from the ionosphere and upper atmosphere, and the inflow of meteoroids and larger objects. The focus is on ions with energies less than tens of eV originating from the ionosphere. Positive low-energy ions are complicated to detect onboard sunlit spacecraft at higher altitudes, which often become positively charged to several tens of volts. We have invented a technique to observe low-energy ions based on the detection of the wake behind a charged spacecraft in a supersonic ion flow. We find that low-energy ions usually dominate the ion density and the outward flux in large volumes in the magnetosphere. The global outflow is of the order of 10 26 ions s -1 . This is a significant fraction of the total number outflow of particles from Earth, and changes plasma processes in near-Earth space. We compare order of magnitude estimates of the mass outflow and inflow for planet Earth and find that they are similar, at around 1 kg s −1 (30 000 ton yr −1 ). We briefly discuss atmospheric and ionospheric outflow from other planets and the connection to evolution of extraterrestrial life.

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Global estimates of plasmaspheric losses during moderate disturbance intervals

Cited by 14 publications

References 51 publications

Low‐energy ions: A previously hidden solar system particle population

Low‐energy ions: A previously hidden solar system particle population

Characteristics of global plasmaspheric TEC in comparison with the ionosphere simultaneously observed by Jason‐1 satellite

Previously hidden low-energy ions: a better map of near-Earth space and the terrestrial mass balance

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