Cluster Observation of Ion Outflow in Middle Altitude LLBL/Cusp from Different Origins

Abstract

The ionosphere is the ionized part of the upper atmosphere that is caused mainly by photoionization by solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission and the atmospheric photochemistry process. The ionospheric ions escape from the ionosphere and populate the Earth’s magnetosphere. In this case study, ion outflows from two different origins were obtained by spacecraft Cluster C1 in the magnetospheric cusp region. One of the outflows was from the reflection of the dispersed solar wind particles. The other was the ionospheric outflow passing through the low latitude boundary layer of the cusp (LLBL/cusp), which was energized by downward Poynting flux. Similar to the reflected solar wind particles, outflowing ionospheric cold ions could also extend to the high-latitude region with magnetic field line convection, which mixed it up with solar wind particles. Based on the Cluster observation in the cusp region, two different origins of the outflowing particles were determined, and their unique mechanisms of formation were discussed. Results suggest that the strong electric field associated with solar wind particle precipitation may additionally accelerate the cold ionospheric ion flow in the LLBL/cusp.

Keywords

• magnetospheric cusp
• ion outflow
• ion acceleration