Electron and ion acceleration by strong electrostatic turbulence

Abstract

It is noted that, for waves observed on auroral field lines, ion trapping may be important, affecting models of transverse ion acceleration. The strength of the electrostatic ion cyclotron turbulence observed in the auroral zone may be attributed to the large convective growth rate that is associated with this mode. These waves may be destabilized by the enhancement in the field-aligned current that results from the onset of a magnetospheric substorm. The rise in the field-aligned current is associated with the passage of shear mode Alfven waves between the magnetosphere and ionosphere. When these Alfven waves have a perpendicular wavelength comparable to the ion gyroradius, they carry a parallel electric field that can accelerate the plasma in the topside auroral ionosphere, destabilizing the electrostatic ion cyclotron mode.