Electron acceleration by Inertial Alfven Waves

• Author / Creator

  Blanco-Benavides, Jose Mauricio

• The nightside auroral region is known to be the most powerful source of radiation from Earth to space. Emitted radiation reaches up to 10^9 watt, with frequencies ranging 100 - 600 kHz, and is known as Auroral Kilometric radiation (AKR).

  AKR is generated through coherent emission by highly energetic electrons. In order to understand how these electrons are energized, a 1D test particle code has been written to study wave-particle interactions at the inertial regime. The computational model reproduces particle dynamics and wave properties in uniform and non-uniform conditions of magnetic field and plasma density. Simulations of wave-particle interactions have also been performed and resulting observations were compared with similar publications. The model is intended to be used to obtain unstable particle distributions that are characteristic of the auroral region, and will be utilized in future studies of generation mechanisms of AKR.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Inertial Alfven Waves

• Graduation date

  Spring 2011

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3DW42

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.