Ion distribution functions in cylindrically symmetric electric fields in the auroral ionosphere: the collision-free case in a uniformly charged configuration

摘要

The aurora often breaks down into elongated filaments that are aligned withthe geomagnetic field. It is natural to infer from this that when importantstructures are found in the electrostatic fields they, too, will follow acylindrical geometry. With ionospheric applications in mind, we have thereforestudied the response of the ion distribution function and its transportproperties to the sudden introduction of an electric field which increaseslinearly 15 with radial distance.