Properties of Auroral Electron Backscatter

John P Dombeck; Joshua Magnus; Robert Lysak; Cynthia Cattell

Presentation information

[E] Oral

P (Space and Planetary Sciences ) » P-EM Solar-Terrestrial Sciences, Space Electromagnetism & Space Environment

[P-EM13] Dynamics of Magnetosphere and Ionosphere

convener:Aoi Nakamizo(Applied Electromagnetic Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology), Mitsunori Ozaki(Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University), Akiko Fujimoto(Kyushu Institute of Technology), Yuka Sato(Nippon Institute of Technology)

[PEM13-11] Properties of Auroral Electron Backscatter

*John P Dombeck¹, Joshua Magnus¹, Robert Lysak¹, Cynthia Cattell¹ (1.University of Minnesota)

Keywords:Backscatter, Electron Precipitation, Aurora, Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling

Electron precipitation is an important and significant magnetosphere-ionosphere (M-I) coupling component. Understanding the net, rather than just downward, energy and number flux contribution and where that energy is deposited for different precipitation types and conditions is an important part of the SW-M-I-T system. We present the results of a number of related studies on backscatter properties that reduce the energy and number flux input to the ionosphere from electron precipitation and provide electron outflow. These include a straight-forward empirical backscatter model for primary and secondary backscatter based on ~13 years of FAST 2d distribution data that is accurate to within a few percent, a quasi-static acceleration net precipitation model including trapping of backscatter, and the results of an empirical study of backscatter reprecipitation effects in the conjugate hemisphere.