Observations of polar ion outflows

Abstract

The characteristics of the polar ion outflows as observed in the topside polar ionosphere by the Dynamics Explorer Retarding Ion Mass Spectrometer are reported. The study is restricted to altitudes between 1000 and 4000 km in order to focus on the phenomenon of the classical polar wind. Using a method based on the 'relative wind' of ions as seen from the moving spacecraft, averages and variances of the magnetic-field-aligned ion flux and velocity, and the species densities are derived and binned for examination of their altitudinal, seasonal, and magnetic-activity dependencies.