Particle acceleration and wave phenomena in the auroral region

Abstract

Acceleration of charged particles, and emissions of electromagnetic waves over a wide range of frequencies, occur in the auroral region of the terrestrial magnetosphere. Many interesting results concerning such phenomena were presented at the second EGS Alfvén conference held in Stockholm during May 1999. We present a summary of some of these results. Our presentation includes recent investigations of the mechanisms accelerating electrons both upward and downward along the geomagnetic field in the auroral region, and of the waves causing energization and upward outflow of ionospheric ions. Wave phenomena such as Auroral Kilometric Radiation and various types of Solitary Waves are also discussed.