Current Driven Double Layers on Auroral Field Lines

高纬度极光带是地球上最复杂的极光带之一 和有趣的区域。 的 在该区域中存在平行电场， 伴随的等离子体湍流水平呈现出显著的 研究挑战。 并联电气的基本理论 场的产生（和相关电流）涉及（1） 质点运动，或（2）阿尔芬波。 这个项目是 感兴趣的是极光中的场向电流 剪切阿尔芬波携带的加速区域可以导致 准稳态场对准电场的形成， 双层的 该项目将是一个详细的测试阿尔芬 用于产生小尺度场向电流的波模型， 极光粒子加速***

The high latitude auroral zone is one of the most complex and interesting areas in the Earth's magnetosphere. The existence of parallel electric fields in this region with a concomitant level of plasma turbulence presents a significant research challenge. The principal theories on parallel electric field generation (and the associate currents) involve either (1) particle motion, or (2) Alfven waves. This project is interested in whether field-aligned currents in the auroral acceleration region carried by shear Alfven waves can lead to the formation of quasi-stationary field-aligned electric fields and double layers. The project will be a detailed test of the Alfven wave model for generating small scale field-aligned currents and auroral particle acceleration. ***