2012/10/02 by F. Mottez, Fabrice Mottez, Mottez, Fabrice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Physics and Astronomy · #Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP) #FOS: Physical sciences #Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies #Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics #Plasma Physics (physics.plasm-ph) #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #astro-ph.EP #physics.plasm-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1210.0683
Proceeding of the SF2A conference in Nice, 2012
arxiv created 2012/10/02 · openalex publication_date 2012/10/02 · arxiv updated 2012/10/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
In the Earth auroral zone, the electron acceleration by Alfvén waves is sometimes a precursor of the non-propagating acceleration structures. In order to investigate how Alfvén waves could generate non-propagating electric fields, a series of simulations of counter-propagating waves in a uniform plasma is presented. The waves (initially not configured to accelerate particles) propagate along the ambient magnetic field direction. It is shown that non propagating electric fields are generated at the locus of the Alfvén waves crossing. These electric fields have a component orientated along the direction of the ambient magnetic field, and they generate acceleration and a significant perturbation of the plasma density. The non-linear interaction of down and up-going Alfvén waves might be a cause of plasma density fluctuations (with gradients along the magnetic field) on a scale comparable to those of the Alfvén wavelengths.