Considerable research effort in the past few years has clarified substantially the understanding of magnetospheric plasma physics. These advances to be made through combined efforts of three research approaches: in situ observations, theoretical/computational efforts, and laboratory simulations of relevant plasma physics. The work at the University of California at Irvine centers on laboratory simulations; the Irvine effort centers on their ability to study plasmas and their ion distribution functions with excellent temporal and spatial resolution, thereby allowing careful study of ion responses to static and radio frequency wave fields which are under the experimenter's control. This grant will continue a laboratory study of mechanisms which could contribute to the formation of the magnetospheric plasma, radio frequency heating mechanisms which could create ion conic distributions in the polar magnetosphere, combined radio frequency and quasi-static field mechanisms, and charged particle beam formation which could lead to ion conics. Overall, the aim is to study processes by which the ionosphere can supply plasma to the magnetosphere. It is now believed that the ionosphere is a major contributor to the magnetosphere.
