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Elsevier, Advances in Space Research, 10(17), p. 17-24

DOI: 10.1016/0273-1177(95)00689-c

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CRRES observations of the composition of the ring-current ion populations

This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

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Abstract

The Magnetospheric Ion Composition Spectrometer onboard the CRRES spacecraft provided mass and charge state composition data for positive ions in the energy-per-charge range 10–425 keV/e. The CRRES data is compared to the AMPTE/CCE observations during both geomagnetically quiet and active periods. The CRRES average radial profiles of H+, He+, and He++ during quiet intervals are remarkably similar to those measured by CCE. The excess of ions measured by CRRES at L < 4 compared to standard ion transport models tends to support the necessity of additional ion radial diffusion by ionospheric electric-field variations. A summary is also given of the measured storm-time variations of the major ion populations during the large storm of March 1991. The results are compared to previous observations by the AMPTE/CCE spacecraft during a large storm. The CRRES data confirm that the rapid initial recovery of the Dst magnetic index is due to a momentary change of the relative ion composition of the ring current to an oxygen-dominated state. A preliminary test of the Dessler-Parker-Sckopke relation between the ion energy and the global magnetic perturbation shows that the observed particle fluxes during the March 1991 storm could account for only 30–50% of the variation of the Dst magnetic index.