Ion acceleration in dipolarization fronts

Abstract:

The electric field associated with flow bursts and dipolarization fronts has been shown to be an efficient mechanism for producing energetic ions and electrons. Using an MHD simulation of magnetotail reconnection, flow bursts and dipolarization, we investigate the acceleration of test particles to suprathermal energies. Particular emphasis of this presentation is on spatial, temporal, and angular variations of the modeled energetic ion fluxes. The test particle simulations reproduce characteristic features of observed injection events, such as a fast rise of energetic particle fluxes, limitations in energy, and demonstrate the large variability of energetic ion features.