Kinetic Modeling of Ionospheric Outflows Observed by the VISIONS-1 Sounding Rocket

When (times in MT)
Wed, Nov 2 2022, 2pm - 1 hour
Event Type
Speaker
Robert Albarran
Affiliation
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
Building & Room
Virtual

Plasma escape from the high-latitude ionosphere (ion outflow) serves as a significant source of heavy plasma to magnetospheric plasma sheet and ring current regions. Outflows alter mass density and reconnection rates, hence global responses of the magnetosphere. The VISIONS-1 (VISualizing Ion Outflow via Neutral atom imaging during a Substorm) sounding rocket was launched on Feb. 7, 2013 at 8:21 UTC from Poker Flat, Alaska, into an auroral substorm with the objective of identifying the drivers and dynamics of nightside ion outflow at altitudes where it is initiated, below 1000 km. Energetic ion data from the VISIONS-1 polar cap boundary crossing show evidence of an ion ``pressure cooker'' effect whereby ions energized via transverse heating in the topside ionosphere travel upward and are impeded by a parallel potential structure at higher altitudes.

About the Speaker

B.S. Astronomy, University of Hawai'i at Hilo

M.S. Engineering Physics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach

Ph.D. Engineering Physics, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach

Currently a PostDoc with the Center for Geospace Storms NASA Science Drive Center working with Roger Varney at UCLA.

Specialization in large-scale kinetic modeling of auroral M-I coupling.