Mesoscale Kinetic Simulations of the Potential Structures in the Auroral Return Current Plasma

本计画将使用2.5维平行粒子胞（PPIC）程式来模拟阿尔芬波与电离层电浆的交互作用。 模拟将由施加的电流片或施加的垂直电场作为边界条件来驱动。 结构中的加速电子和离子驱动波，波又影响带电粒子。 波和粒子反作用于势结构。 因此，模拟提供了自洽的反馈回路。 该技术将用于研究（1）返回电流区二维极光中尺度电位结构的电动力学，（2）双层的形成，（3）产生逆流电子的过程，（4）横向离子加速，以及（5）电子相空间密度空穴在磁层-电离层耦合中的作用。

This project will use a 2.5-dimension parallel-particle-in-cell (PPIC) computer code to simulate the interaction of Alfven waves and plasma in the ionosphere. The simulations will be driven either by imposed current sheets or by imposed perpendicular electric fields as boundary conditions. Accelerated electrons and ions in the structure drive waves which in turn affect the charged particles. The waves and particles react back on the potential structure. The simulation thus provides a self-consistent feedback loop. The technique will be used to study (1) the electrodynamics of two-dimensional auroral mesoscale potential structures in the return current region, (2) the formation of double layers, (3) the processes which generate counter streaming electrons, (4) transverse ion acceleration, and (5) the role of electron phase-space density holes in magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling.