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Ann. Geophys., 24, 3547-3556, 2006
www.ann-geophys.net/24/3547/2006/
© European Geosciences Union 2006
Energetic ion injection and formation of the storm-time symmetric ring current
L. Xie1, Z. Y. Pu1, X. Z. Zhou1, S. Y. Fu1, Q.-G. Zong2, and M. H. Hong3
1School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
2Center for Space Physics, Boston University, Boston, 02215, USA
3Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, 100029, China
Abstract. An extensive study of ring current injection and intensification of the
storm-time ring current is conducted with three-dimensional (3-D) test
particle trajectory calculations (TPTCs). The TPTCs reveal more accurately
the process of ring current injection, with the main results being the
following: (1) an intense convection electric field can effectively energize
and inject plasma sheet particles into the ring current region within 1–3 h.
(2) Injected ions often follow chaotic trajectories in non-adiabatic
regions, which may have implications in storm and ring current physics. (3)
The shielding electric field, which arises as a consequence of enhanced
convection and co-exists with the injection and convection electric field, may
cause the original open trajectories of injected ions with higher energy to
change into closed ones, thus playing a role in the formation of the symmetric
ring current.
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