Low-energy neutral atom emission from the Earth's magnetosphere

1994 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt R. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Neutral Atom ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Earth’S Magnetosphere ◽  
Earth's Magnetosphere

Remote ion temperature measurements of Earth's magnetosphere: Medium energy neutral atom (MENA) images

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 80-1-80-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. E. Scime ◽  
A. M. Keesee ◽  
J.-M. Jahn ◽  
J. L. Kline ◽  
C. J. Pollock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neutral Atom ◽  
Temperature Measurements ◽  
Medium Energy ◽  
Ion Temperature ◽  
Earth’S Magnetosphere ◽  
Earth's Magnetosphere

scholarly journals Charge-Exchange Byproduct Cold Protons in the Earth’s Magnetosphere

2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph E. Borovsky ◽  
Jianghuai Liu ◽  
Raluca Ilie ◽  
Michael W. Liemohn
Keyword(s):  
Production Rate ◽  
Charge Exchange ◽  
Plasma Sheet ◽  
Impact Ionization ◽  
Neutral Hydrogen ◽  
Early Time ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Geosynchronous Orbit ◽  
Earth’S Magnetosphere ◽  
Earth's Magnetosphere

Owing to the spatial overlap of the ion plasma sheet (ring current) with the Earth’s neutral-hydrogen geocorona, there is a significant rate of occurrence of charge-exchange collisions in the dipolar portion of the Earth’s magnetosphere. During a charge-exchange collision between an energetic proton and a low-energy hydrogen atom, a low-energy proton is produced. These “byproduct” cold protons are trapped in the Earth’s magnetic field where they advect via E×B drift. In this report, the number density and behavior of this cold-proton population are assessed. Estimates of the rate of production of byproduct cold protons from charge exchange are in the vicinity of 1.14 cm−3 per day at geosynchronous orbit or about 5 tons per day for the entire dipolar magnetosphere. The production rate of cold protons owing to electron-impact ionization of the geocorona by the electron plasma sheet at geosynchronous orbit is about 12% of the charge-exchange production rate, but the production rate by solar photoionization of the neutral geocorona is comparable or larger than the charge-exchange production rate. The byproduct-ion production rates are smaller than observed early time refilling rates for the outer plasmasphere. Numerical simulations of the production and transport of cold charge-exchange byproduct protons find that they have very low densities on the nightside of geosynchronous orbit, and they can have densities of 0.2–0.3 cm−3 at geosynchronous orbit on the dayside. These dayside byproduct-proton densities might play a role in shortening the early phase of plasmaspheric refilling.

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