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The effects of inductive electric field on the spatial and temporal evolution of inner magnetospheric ring current
  • Jianghuai Liu,
  • Raluca Ilie
Jianghuai Liu
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Raluca Ilie
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
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Abstract

Charged particles are observed to be injected into the inner magnetosphere region from plasma sheet, and energized up to high energies over short distance and time, during both geomagnetic storms and substorms. Numerous studies suggest that it is the short-duration and high-speed plasma flows, which are closely associated with the global effects of magnetic reconnection and inductive effects, rather than the slow and steady convection that control the Earth-ward plasma transport and magnetic flux from the magnetotail, especially during geomagnetic activities. In order to include the effect of inductive electric produced by the temporal change of magnetic field on the dynamics of ring current, we implemented both theoretical and numerical modifications to an inner magnetosphere kinetic model—Hot Electron-Ion Drift Integrator (HEIDI). New drift terms associated with the inductive electric field are incorporated into the calculation of bounce-averaged coefficients for the distribution function, and their numerical implementations and the associated effects on total drift and energization rate are discussed. Numerical simulations show that the local particle drifts are significantly altered by the presence of inductive electric fields, in addition to the changing magnetic gradient-curvature drift due to the distortion of magnetic field, and at certain locations, the inductive drift dominates both the potential and the magnetic gradient-curvature drift. The presence of a self consistent inductive electric field alters the overall particle trajectories, energization, and pitch angle, resulting in significant changes in the topology and strength of the ring current.
Mar 2021Published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics volume 126 issue 3. 10.1029/2020JA028554