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| Titel |
Possible interaction between thermal electrons and vibrationally excited N2 in the lower E-region |
| VerfasserIn |
K.-I. Oyama, M. Shimoyama, J. Y. Liu, C. Z. Cheng |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
0992-7689
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Annales Geophysicae ; 29, no. 3 ; Nr. 29, no. 3 (2011-03-25), S.583-590 |
| Datensatznummer |
250016994
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/angeo-29-583-2011.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
As one of the tasks to find the energy source(s) of thermal electrons, which
elevate(s) electron temperature higher than neutral temperature in the lower
ionosphere E-region, energy distribution function of thermal electron was
measured with a sounding rocket at the heights of 93–131 km by the applying
second harmonic method.
The energy distribution function showed a clear hump at the energy of ~0.4 eV.
In order to find the reason of the hump, we conducted laboratory
experiment. We studied difference of the energy distribution functions of
electrons in thermal energy range, which were measured with and without EUV
radiation to plasma of N2/Ar and N2/O2 gas mixture
respectively. For N2/Ar gas mixture plasma, the hump is not clearly
identified in the energy distribution of thermal electrons. On the other
hand for N2/O2 gas mixture, which contains vibrationally excited
N2, a clear hump is found when irradiated by EUV.
The laboratory experiment seems to suggest that the hump is produced as a
result of interaction between vibrationally excited N2 and thermal
electrons, and this interaction is the most probable heating source for the
electrons of thermal energy range in the lower E-region. It is also
suggested that energy distribution of the electrons in high energy part may
not be Maxwellian, and DC probe measures the electrons which are non
Maxwellian, and therefore "electron temperature" is calculated higher. |
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