 |
| Titel |
Mass lost from the atmosphere through ion-outflow |
| VerfasserIn |
C. Johnsen, N. Østgaard, S. Haaland |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2012
|
| Medientyp |
Artikel
|
| Sprache |
Englisch
|
| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 14 (2012) |
| Datensatznummer |
250062847
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Zusammenfassung |
| In the polar regions, there is a continuous outward flow of ions along the open geomagnetic
field lines. The purpose of this study is to determine the fate of these ions. What
amount will disappear out on the Earth’s night side, instead of returning to the
magnetosphere?
ESA’s Cluster spacecrafts move in an elliptical, polar orbit and make measurements of the ion
density (n), the particle velocity (vpm) along the magnetic field lines, the electric (Em) and
magnetic field components (Bm) in the magnetosphere. When we combine these data, and
use several assumptions, it is also possible to calculate the convection velocity (vcm) in the
magnetosphere and in the ionosphere (vi).
From these calculations we can determine where the ions are when they reach the plasma
sheet, and compare it to the location of the reconnection point on the Earth’s night side.
Based on this, we can decide whether they will return to Earth’s magnetosphere, or escape
beyond the distant neutral line, and get lost into the solar wind, and estimate the total mass
loss rate.
Finally, we will explore how different solar wind parameters and geomagnetic indices affect
the loss of ions. |
|
|
|
|
|
|