Direct measurement of electron sloshing of an inertial Alfvén wave

J. W. R Schroeder; F Skiff; C. A Kletzing; G. G Howes; T. A Carter; S Dorfman

doi:10.1002/2016GL068865

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Direct measurement of electron sloshing of an inertial Alfvén wave

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Direct measurement of electron sloshing of an inertial Alfvén wave

J. W. R Schroeder, F Skiff, C. A Kletzing, G. G Howes, T. A Carter and S Dorfman

Geophysical research letters, Vol.43(10), pp.4701-4707

05/28/2016

DOI: 10.1002/2016GL068865

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Abstract

We report laboratory measurements of the parallel current carried by suprathermal electrons associated with inertial Alfvén wave excitation in the laboratory. The experiments presented here use a novel wave absorption diagnostic that measures the suprathermal tails of the electron distribution parallel to the mean magnetic field. The diagnostic is used to probe the electron distribution as an inertial Alfvén wave propagates along the mean magnetic field. These results identify, for the first time, the periodic motion of suprathermal electrons participating in the inertial Alfvén wave itself, in agreement with predictions from linear kinetic theory. Key Points Inertial Alfvén waves have an electric field aligned with the mean magnetic field that is predicted to modify electron motion Laboratory measurements of electron sloshing at the Alfvén wave frequency verify predictions The magnetic field‐aligned electric field of inertial Alfvén waves is also expected to resonantly accelerate auroral electrons

Alfvén waves

auroral phenomena

Large Plasma Device

magnetosphere

wave‐particle interactions

Details

Title: Subtitle: Direct measurement of electron sloshing of an inertial Alfvén wave
Creators: J. W. R Schroeder - University of Iowa
F Skiff - University of Iowa
C. A Kletzing - University of Iowa
G. G Howes - University of Iowa
T. A Carter - University of California, Los Angeles
S Dorfman - University of California, Los Angeles
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.43(10), pp.4701-4707
DOI: 10.1002/2016GL068865
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Number of pages: 7
Grant note: DOE (DE-FG02-06ER54890) NSF CAREER (AGS-1054061) U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation NSF (ATM 03-17310; PHY-10033446) NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (1048957) NASA (NNX10AC91G)
Language: English
Date published: 05/28/2016
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984199781802771

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