Electric fields in the magnetosphere- a review

• The satellites S3-3, GEOS-1, GEOS-2, ISEE-1 and Viking have extended direct measurements of electric fields to include the outer regions of the magnetosphere. The measurements confirm some of the theoretically expected properties of the electric fields. More importantly, they also reveal unexpected features and a high degree of complexity and variability. The existence of a magnetospheric dawn-dusk electric field has been confirmed in an average sense. However, the actual field exhibits large spatial and temporal variations, including strong fields of inductive origin. At the magnetopause the average (dawn-dusk directed) tangential electric field component is typlcally obscured by irregular fluctuations of larger amplitude. The magnetic field-aligned component of the electric field, which is of particular importance for ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling and for auroral acceleration is even now very difficult to measure directly. However, the data from electric field measurements provide further support for the conclusion, based on a variety of evidence, that a non-vanishing magnetic field-aligned electric field exists in the auroral acceleration region. © 1989.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Fusion, plasma och rymdfysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Fusion, Plasma and Space Physics (hsv//eng)

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