Ionosphere Contribution to RC

• Before composition experiments we didn’t know

  • O+,He+ are Iono, He++, C5+,O6+ are SW/Magneto
  • (1972) Shelley, Sharp: O+ exists in RC (E<30keV)
  • AMPTE (1984) Gloeckler: 50% Iono in RC (1<keV<300)
  • AMPTE (1986) Hamilton: O+ dominates
  • CRRES/MICS (1989) Grande: O+/H+ a Dst

• Somehow the ionosphere is getting involved in a really major way. But how? (Joe vs. Robert)

  • cleft ion fountain/auroral upflow not making RC energies
  • plasmasphere just doesn’t have enough O+ to do it either

Notes: