SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SCIENTIFIC TOPICS

OF THE ZVENIGOROD SYMPOSIUM

FEBRUARY 8-13, 1999


     The preliminary lists of the volunteered organizers of the panel discussions have been composed according to interests expressed during the previous INTERBALL meetings (Finland, February 1998, and Kosice, September 1998).

     Please feel free to participate in any of these topics or to make any suggestions, comments and modifications.



   1. Acceleration - Spontaneous Reconnection in the Tail, BBF, Bursty Convection:

a) Acceleration versus heating. Fine scale aspects.

  • "turbulent" field - real random phase turbulence or multiple coherent structures;

  • detailed analysis of spatial-temporal properties of low-frequency perturbations;

  • correlation of the features of magnetic "turbulence" with energetic particle dynamics.


b) How particles gain energy in the magnetosphere?

  • single (or double) act of energization at global scale

    or

  • multiple small scale localized events.

Panel discussion organizers:

V.Lutsenko, L.Zelenyi, T.Pulkkinen, A.Petrukovich...

c) Ring Current and Near-Earth Plasma sheet. Stationary and Non-Stationary Features:

  • observed variations in the Ring Current vs substorms and storms;

  • plasma pressure gradient of ring current particles and of plasma sheet particles;

  • stationary plasma pressure gradient directions in respect to magnetic field isolines and generation of field-aligned currents;

  • gradients dependencies on solar wind parameters and IMF;

  • transverse currents in the inner magnetosphere;

  • substorm onset theories and models.

Panel discussion organizers:

N.Pissarenko, E.Antonova...

   2. Thermal and Superthermal Plasma:

a) High altitudes Plasma Characteristics in the Outer Plasmasphere, above the Auroral Oval and in the Polar Cap:

  • total plasma density distribution, plasmapause position and characteristics, ion composition;

  • ion distribution function and its moments: temperature, anisotropy, convection, field-aligned flows;

  • electron temperatures throughout the magnetosphere up to 2-3 Re;

  • refilling of the outer plasmasphere after a storm: observations vs polar wind theory;

  • fate of thermal plasma at the dayside magnetopause.


b) New Features in the Superthermal Ions and Electrons:

  • velocity-dispersed injections of the thermal and superthermal ions from LLBL at cusp and cleft (lowest energy VDIS-2 events);

  • cusp ion fountain: heating of ions and electrons;

  • near-satellite perpendicular ion heating events at high altitudes during energetic particle bursts;

  • subauroral electron temperature peak at different altitudes.


c) S/c Positive Potential and Langmuir Sheath in Rarefied High Altitude Plasma:

  • positive s/c potential of the INTERBALL satellites and estimates of ambient plasma density;

  • modelling of the Langmuir sheath around s/c in rarefied plasma and of its influence on thermal plasma measurements.

Panel discussion organizers:

Yu.Galperin, N.Dubouloz, S.Perraut, J.Smilauer (TBC - to be confirmed)...

   3. Plasma Boundaries in the Near-Earth Space:

a) Magnetospheric Boundary Layers and Cusp:

  • plasma flow structures inside and outside magnetopause and its shape;

  • outer cusp processes, role of outer cusp indentation, plasma entry (laminar reconnection, turbulent diffusion, others), role of turbulent boundary layer;

  • how is the magnetosheath plasma heated near magnetopause and cusp?

  • morphology of plasmas, waves, currents in different parts of the cusp;

  • northward IMF cusps, role of By component of IMF;

  • high latitude vs low latitude magnetosheath plasma entry in the outer magnetosphere;

  • cusp/cleft positions: comparison with different magnetospheric models;

  • cleft as a magnetosheath plasma entry region;

  • magnetospheric plasma escape through the magnetopause, modified magnetosheath;

  • cusp/cleft wave emissions.

Panel discussion organizers:

S.Savin, I.Sandahl, J.-L.Rauch (TBC)...

b) Low Latitude Boundary Layer (LLBL):

  • LLBL formation (characteristics, ions of solar wind/ionosphere origin);

  • role of surface instabilities;

  • dynamics (internally or solar wind driven);

  • links of the LLBL with plasma sheet (hot/cold PS and LLBL);

  • role of ionospheric ions in LLBL plasma processes;

  • physically motivated definition of the LLBL.

Panel discussion organizers:

J-.A.Sauvaud, A.Fedorov, R.Lundin (TBC)...

c) Magnetopause Motion and Structure:

  • drivers of magnetopause motion;

  • plasma flow near magnetopause.

Panel discussion organizers:

J.Safrankova, Z.Nemecek, G.Zastenker...

   4. Auroral Acceleration Region - Particles and Fields:

  • specific conditions of interaction and propagation of waves in the auroral region;

  • solitary structures in the acceleration region;

  • interpretation of wave measurements in terms of large scale magnetospheric structures.

Panel discussion organizers:

F.Lefeuvre, M.Mogilevsky, H.Koskinen (TBC), J.Hanasz (TBC)...

   5. Solar Wind and IMF Features and Their Interaction with Outer Magnetosphere.

  • correlations of solar wind plasma and IMF structures by multispacecraft measurements;

  • magnetic clouds” and their magnetospheric responses;

  • modification of solar wind discontinuities at the bow shock and in the magnetosheath;

  • plasma and IMF variations it the foreshock.

Panel discussion organizers:

J.Safrankova, Z.Nemecek, G.Zastenker, M.Nozdrachev...

   6. Substorms and Other Modes of Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling.



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