Ion and electron characteristics in auroral density cavities associated with ion beams: No evidence for cold ionospheric plasma

Abstract

Low‐density cavities associated with upgoing ion beams were identified in the auroral regions over two decades ago. In order to understand the waves, double layers, and solitary structures observed within these cavities, accurate measurements of the plasma distribution function are required. Although measurements by DE 1 indicated that these cavities were composed primarily of hot plasma in the form of ion beams, plasma sheet ions, and inverted V electrons, later reports from Viking showed these cavities contained a cold plasma component whose density was an order of magnitude larger than the hot component. Recent measurements by the FAST satellite contrast sharply with the Viking results and support the earlier DE 1 observations. Regions of upgoing ion beams observed by FAST are shown to contain little or no cold plasma. The hot electron densities (>100 eV) and the combined plasma sheet ion and upgoing ion beam densities (>30 eV) agree remarkably well. Furthermore, no cold ions (0–30 eV) are measured at low energies by the mass spectrometer, which precludes the presence of significant (>20%) cold electrons to preserve charge neutrality. Characteristics of the plasma for 11 ion beam events are tabulated.