On the source of the polar wind in the polar topside ionosphere : First results from the EISCAT Svalbard radar

• We present quantitative radar observations of both hydrogen ion (H+) and oxygen ion (O+) upflow in the topside polar ionosphere using measurements that were recently carried out with the EISCAT Svalbard Radar and the Reimei satellite. H+ upflow was clearly observed equatorward of the cusp above 500 km altitude. Within the cusp the H+ density was very low, and the upflow was dominated by O+ ions, but on closed field lines the H+ became the larger contributor to the upward flux above about 550 km. The total flux seemed to be conserved, and so below 550 km altitude O+ (with a small upward velocity of similar to 50 m s(-1)) appeared to determine the upward flux which was then maintained by H+! in the topside ionosphere. We also found that the H+ density in the topside polar ionosphere was several times higher than current predictions of ionospheric models like IRI2001.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Physics

Fysik

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