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Thermal electron heating rate: A derivationThe thermal electron heating rate is an important heat source term in the ionospheric electron energy balance equation, representing heating by photoelectrons or by precipitating higher energy electrons. A formula for the thermal electron heating rate is derived from the kinetic equation using the electron-electron collision operator as given by the unified theory of Kihara and Aono. This collision operator includes collective interactions to produce a finite collision operator with an exact Coulomb logarithm term. The derived heating rate O(e) is the sum of three terms, O(e) = O(p) + S + O(int), which are respectively: (1) primary electron production term giving the heating from newly created electrons that have not yet suffered collisions with the ambient electrons; (2) a heating term evaluated on the energy surface m(e)/2 = E(T) at the transition between Maxwellian and tail electrons at E(T); and (3) the integral term representing heating of Maxwellian electrons by energetic tail electrons at energies ET. Published ionospheric electron temperature studies used only the integral term O(int) with differing lower integration limits. Use of the incomplete heating rate could lead to erroneous conclusions regarding electron heat balance, since O(e) is greater than O(int) by as much as a factor of two.
Document ID
19840007873
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Hoegy, W. R. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
September 4, 2013
Publication Date
November 1, 1983
Subject Category
Atomic And Molecular Physics
Report/Patent Number
NASA-TM-85124
NAS 1.15:85124
Accession Number
84N15941
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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