Advances in Understanding and Modeling the Ring Current and Its Coupling with Other Particle Populations

Session ID#: 117623

Session Description:
The terrestrial ring current is comprised of ions and electrons from a few keV to several hundred keV and plays an important role in regulating the energy density and field configuration of the magnetosphere, particularly during geomagnetic storms. The instability of ring current plasma provides free energy for various waves (e.g., EMIC, magnetosonic, and whistler waves), which can heat or pitch-angle-scatter various other plasma populations through wave-particle interactions and result in plasma energization or loss via precipitation. The subsequent precipitation modifies the ionospheric conductance, which in turn changes the magnetospheric electric potential pattern. Understanding the coupling processes between the ring current and other particle populations is crucial to modeling the inner magnetosphere. We invite presentations on progress of the ring current interactions with and feedback from other populations (e.g., plasmasphere, radiation belts, ionosphere and neutral atmosphere). Contributions including theoretical studies, numerical modeling, observations from satellite and ground-based missions are welcome.
Index Terms:

2730 Magnetosphere: inner [MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS]
2772 Plasma waves and instabilities [MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS]
2778 Ring current [MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS]


Primary Convener:  Chao Yue, Peking University, Beijing, China
Conveners:  Jacob Bortnik, University of California Los Angeles, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, United States, Cristian Ferradas, New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM, United States and Qianli Ma, UCLA, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Primary Liaison:  Chao Yue, Chinese Academy of Sciences Northwest Agriculture & Forestry University, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Yangling, China