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Preferential Perpendicular Acceleration Of Heavy Ionospheric Ions By Interactions With Electrostatic Hydrogen Cyclotron Waves, Nagendra Singh, Robert W. Schunk, Jan Josef Sojka

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The energization of heavy ionospheric ions by electrostatic hydrogen cyclotron (EHC) waves is examined. In particular, the problem of preferential perpendicular acceleration of heavy ions above 5000 km along auroral field lines is examined critically. Observations have indicated that above this altitude the occurrences of ion beams and EHC waves are highly correlated and that the occurrence rates are high. The EHC waves are found to be coherent. The energization process is examined in the light of interactions of a single coherent wave with the ions. The interactions can be stochastic or nonstochastic, depending on the parameters of the wave …