Direct measurement of electron sloshing of an inertial Alfvén wave

Abstract We report laboratory measurements of the parallel current carried by suprathermal electrons associated with inertial Alfvén wave excitation in the laboratory. The experiments presented here use a novel wave absorption diagnostic that measures the suprathermal tails of the electron distribut...

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Main Authors: J. W. R. Schroeder, F. Skiff, C. A. Kletzing, G. G. Howes, T. A. Carter, S. Dorfman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-05-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068865
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author J. W. R. Schroeder
F. Skiff
C. A. Kletzing
G. G. Howes
T. A. Carter
S. Dorfman
author_facet J. W. R. Schroeder
F. Skiff
C. A. Kletzing
G. G. Howes
T. A. Carter
S. Dorfman
author_sort J. W. R. Schroeder
collection DOAJ
description Abstract We report laboratory measurements of the parallel current carried by suprathermal electrons associated with inertial Alfvén wave excitation in the laboratory. The experiments presented here use a novel wave absorption diagnostic that measures the suprathermal tails of the electron distribution parallel to the mean magnetic field. The diagnostic is used to probe the electron distribution as an inertial Alfvén wave propagates along the mean magnetic field. These results identify, for the first time, the periodic motion of suprathermal electrons participating in the inertial Alfvén wave itself, in agreement with predictions from linear kinetic theory.
format Article
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institution OA Journals
issn 0094-8276
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language English
publishDate 2016-05-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-0e251668fbb84d79a768fdbe22f09ec02025-08-20T02:31:41ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-05-0143104701470710.1002/2016GL068865Direct measurement of electron sloshing of an inertial Alfvén waveJ. W. R. Schroeder0F. Skiff1C. A. Kletzing2G. G. Howes3T. A. Carter4S. Dorfman5Department of Physics and Astronomy University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy University of Iowa Iowa City Iowa USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy University of California Los Angeles California USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy University of California Los Angeles California USAAbstract We report laboratory measurements of the parallel current carried by suprathermal electrons associated with inertial Alfvén wave excitation in the laboratory. The experiments presented here use a novel wave absorption diagnostic that measures the suprathermal tails of the electron distribution parallel to the mean magnetic field. The diagnostic is used to probe the electron distribution as an inertial Alfvén wave propagates along the mean magnetic field. These results identify, for the first time, the periodic motion of suprathermal electrons participating in the inertial Alfvén wave itself, in agreement with predictions from linear kinetic theory.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068865Alfvén waveswave‐particle interactionsauroral phenomenaLarge Plasma Devicemagnetosphere
spellingShingle J. W. R. Schroeder
F. Skiff
C. A. Kletzing
G. G. Howes
T. A. Carter
S. Dorfman
Direct measurement of electron sloshing of an inertial Alfvén wave
Geophysical Research Letters
Alfvén waves
wave‐particle interactions
auroral phenomena
Large Plasma Device
magnetosphere
title Direct measurement of electron sloshing of an inertial Alfvén wave
title_full Direct measurement of electron sloshing of an inertial Alfvén wave
title_fullStr Direct measurement of electron sloshing of an inertial Alfvén wave
title_full_unstemmed Direct measurement of electron sloshing of an inertial Alfvén wave
title_short Direct measurement of electron sloshing of an inertial Alfvén wave
title_sort direct measurement of electron sloshing of an inertial alfven wave
topic Alfvén waves
wave‐particle interactions
auroral phenomena
Large Plasma Device
magnetosphere
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068865
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