A simple two-dimensional model of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system is discussed in which a localized electromotive force applied across a magnetic field line at t=0 is shown to propagate along the magnetic field with the Alfven velocity. The perpendicular electric field is assumed to reverse direction across the field line. Since the perpendicular electric field is limited in space, the propagation involves parallel electric fields whose magnitude depends on the characteristic scale length of the applied emf and the local plasma parameters. The electric field pulse associated with the ‘shock’ front is reflected at the ionosphere and propagates back to the source region. The finite Pedersen conductivity in the ionosphere damps the wave, and a steady state current system is established in the order of several hours. The parallel electric field can accelerate ions and electrons.

Magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling

Measurements from the Lepedea plasma instruments and the flux gate magnetometers on ISEE 1 and 2 are used to examine the nature of the hydromagnetic waves associated with the various classes of ions backstreaming from the earth's bow shock. The reflected ions, which are confined to a narrow energy and angular range, are accompanied by small amplitude (less than approximately 1/2 gamma peak to peak) left-handed waves at frequencies close to 1 Hz in the spacecraft frame. Diffuse backstreaming particles with a broad energy spectrum are associated with low frequency (approximately 30-s period), large amplitude (approximately 5 gamma peak to peak) waves. Intermediate particles are associated with a mixture of these two wave types. Often the waves associated with the diffuse beams steepen as if they were minishocks. The leading edge (trailing edge in the spacecraft frame) frequently appears to break up into a whistler mode wave packet. These discrete wave packets are right-hand polarized and have frequencies from below the proton gyrofrequency to well above it in the plasma frame and are blown back towards the earth by the solar wind.

Upstream hydromagnetic waves and their association with backstreaming ion populations: ISEE 1 and 2 observations

A satellite-borne energetic ion mass spectrometer experiment has detected fluxes of O/sup +/ and H/sup +/ ions flowing up out of the ionosphere in the auroral and polar regions. The observed ions have energies in the keV range, narrow pitch-angle distributions aligned along the magnetic field direction and peak flux intensities of the order of 10/sup 8/ (cm/sup 2/-sec-sterad-keV)/sup -1/. The observations were made at altitudes between 5000 and 8000 km on both the day and nightsides of the earth. (AIP)

Satellite observations of an ionospheric acceleration mechanism

We compile a worldwide catalog of shallow (depth < 70 km) and large ( Ms ≥ 7) earthquakes recorded between 1900 and 1989. The catalog is shown to be complete and uniform at the 20-sec surface-wave magnitude Ms ≥ 7.0. We base our catalog on those of Abe (1981, 1984) and Abe and Noguchi (1983a, b) for events with Ms ≥ 7.0. Those catalogs, however, are not homogeneous in seismicity rates for the entire 90-year period. We assume that global rates of seismicity are constant on a time scale of decades and most inhomogeneities arise from changes in instrumentation and/or reporting. We correct the magnitudes to produce a homogeneous catalog. The catalog is accompanied by a reference list for all the events with seismic moment determined at periods longer than 20 sec. Using these seismic moments for great and giant earthquakes and a moment-magnitude relationship for smaller events, we produce a seismic moment catalog for large earthquakes from 1900 to 1989. The catalog is used to study the distribution of moment released worldwide. Although we assumed a constant rate of seismicity on a global basis, the rate of moment release has not been constant for the 90-year period because the latter is dominated by the few largest earthquakes. We find that the seismic moment released at subduction zones during this century constitutes 90% of all the moment released by large, shallow earthquakes on a global basis. The seismic moment released in the largest event that occurred during this century, the 1960 southern Chile earthquake, represents about 30 to 45% of the total moment released from 1900 through 1989. A frequency-size distribution of earthquakes with seismic moment yields an average slope ( b value) that changes from 1.04 for magnitudes between 7.0 and 7.5 to b = 1.51 for magnitudes between 7.6 and 8.0. This change in the b value is attributed to different scaling relationships between bounded (large) and unbounded (small) earthquakes. Thus, the earthquake process does have a characteristic length scale that is set by the downdip width over which rupture in earthquakes can occur. That width is typically greater for thrust events at subduction zones than for earthquakes along transform faults and other tectonic environments.

Seismic moment catalog of large shallow earthquakes, 1900 to 1989

Observed magnetospheric asymmetries which occur in response to the y-component of the IMF are discussed in terms of the open model of the magnetosphere. The torque which the IMF exerts on the magnetosphere about the Earth-Sun axis results in asymmetric addition of open flux tubes to the tail lobes about the noon-midnight meridian. In response an IMF-associated By field appears across the tail lobes. The ratio between internal and external By fields will generally be same as the ratio between internal and external electric fields. If the tail flux asymmetry is related to an asymmetric distribution of the field normal to the tail magnetopause then an asymmetry in tail lobe electric field and plasma populations will immediately result, as observed. If the flux asymmetry is associated with a twist in the tail then the By field will appear but not necessary the electric field and plasma asymmetries. Generally both effects may occur together. Simple open tail lobe models are derived which demonstrate the asymmetry effects. These represent more physically satisfactory models of the tail and its plasma populations than available hitherto, but they remain somewhat unrealistic in a number of respects. Finally, it is shown that the observed asymmetry effects on closed (auroral zone) field lines may be at least qualitatively accounted for if the cross-magnetosphere IMF-associated By field pervades not only the open but also the closed field line regime, as may be generally expected.

Magnetospheric asymmetries associated with the y-component of the IMF

The electrostatic analyzer aboard Imp 7 examined energy spectra of positive ions in certain streaming plasmas adjacent to the plasma sheet and within the geomagnetic tail at geocentric radial distances of about 35 R-E, revealing minor, though often persistent, secondary maxima of intensities with energy per unit charge a factor of 16 greater than that of the maxima corresponding to the dominant H(+) ions The secondary maximum at higher E/Q was identified as a small flux of singly ionized atomic oxygen O(+), from the ionosphere O(+) fluxes in the geomagnetic tail were about 10 to the 5th/(sq cm s) and imply O(+) upward fluxes in the upper ionosphere of about 10 to the 8th/(sq cm s) The kinetic energy of the oxygen ions is about 1-5 keV, while estimates of the global escape of the ions are about 3 x 10 to the 6th kg/yr

Observations of atomic oxygen (O+) in the Earth's magnetotail

A new generation of spaceflight instrumentation for comprehensive measurements of plasmas within the earth's magnetosphere and its environs is described. These quadrispherical low energy proton and electron differential energy analyzers (LEPEDEAS) for the ISEE's-l and -2 spacecraft are capable of determining the directional intensities of positive ions and electrons over all but 2 percent of the 4? sr solid angle for charged-particle velocity vectors at the spacecraft positions. The energy range of this instrumentation is 1 eV < E/Q < 45 keV with good energy and angular resolutions. An example of inflight observations within the earth's magnetosheath is presented.

Quadrispherical LEPEDEAS for ISEE's-1 and -2 Plasma Measurements

The results of the character and temporal fluctuations study of electron intensities in the energy range of hundreds of electron volts, are reported which were measured at high latitudes and altitudes on geomagnetic field lines corresponding to those of the polar cap and magnetotail lobes. It is concluded that such electron intensities are diminutive relative to those found in other regions of the magnetosphere. Severe variations of intensities were found and the magnitudes of electron intensities appear to be strongly coupled to the directions of the interplanetary magnetic fields.

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Low‐energy electron intensities at large distances over the Earth's polar cap

A new generation of spaceflight instrumentation for comprehensive measurements of plasmas within the earth's magnetosphere and its environs is described. These quadrispherical low energy proton and electron differential energy analyzers (LEPEDEAS) for the ISEE's-l and -2 spacecraft are capable of determining the directional intensities of positive ions and electrons over all but 2 percent of the 4¿ sr solid angle for charged-particle velocity vectors at the spacecraft positions. The energy range of this instrumentation is 1 eV < E/Q < 45 keV with good energy and angular resolutions. An example of inflight observations within the earth's magnetosheath is presented.

D. M. Yeager

Papers

Observations of atomic oxygen (O+) in the Earth's magnetotail

Quadrispherical LEPEDEAS for ISEE's-1 and -2 Plasma Measurements

Low‐energy electron intensities at large distances over the Earth's polar cap

Quadrispherical LEPEDEAS for ISEE's-1 and -2 plasma measurements. [Low Energy Proton and Electron Differential Energy Analyzers