Kinetic Simulation of Alfvenic Interactions of Small Transverse Scale

阿尔芬波和与之相关的场向电流构成了磁层和电离层之间电磁耦合的主要基础。 该项目将使用一种粒子单元计算机代码，对阿尔芬波与电离层梯度和结构的相互作用进行动力学模拟。 要研究的主题包括与预先存在的密度空腔的相互作用，从边界的非线性反射，由双层产生的调制，高频噪声的产生和交叉场等离子体流的影响。

Alfven waves and the field-aligned electric currents associated with them form the primary basis for the electromagnetic coupling between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere. This project will use a particle-in-cell (PIC) computer code to perform kinetic simulations of the interaction of Alfven waves with gradients and structures in the ionosphere. The topics to be studied include the interaction with pre-existing density cavities, nonlinear reflections from boundaries, modulations produced by double-layers, the generation of high-frequency noise and the effects of cross-field plasma flows.