Current-voltage relationship
(2007) Journal of Atmospheric and Solar - Terrestrial Physics — Vol. 69, n° 16, p. 2048-2057 (2007)
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- Authors
Pierrard, Viviane 
- Abstract
- Potential drops accelerate ions and electrons along magnetic field lines and create currents flowing into and out of the ionosphere. Kinetic exospheric models similar to those developed for the polar wind have been used to determine the current density as a function of the electrostatic potential difference. In the upward current region of the auroral zone, the current-voltage relationship depends on the number density and temperature of the hot plasma of the plasmasheet and is quasi-linear for 100 V < V < 10 kV. This linear relationship cannot be extrapolated to return current regions, where the current is carried by the ionospheric electrons. FAST observations have shown significant potential drops in the return current regions, suggesting there a contribution of an anomalous resistance to the current-voltage relationship. The goal of the present paper is to describe and summarize the features of the field-aligned currents and of the various forms of current-voltage relationships in magnetospheric physics as well as the successive historical steps between their discovery and first formulation in 1973 and their most recent sophisticated ones. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Citations
Pierrard, V., Khazanov, G. V., & Lemaire, J. (2007). Current-voltage relationship. Journal of Atmospheric and Solar - Terrestrial Physics, 69(16), 2048-2057. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jastp.2007.08.005 (Original work published 2007)