Project Summary Khazanov/ATM-9412409 This research will investigate a linear stage of the plasma wave generation in the ionosphere-plasmasphere system due to the presence of superthermal electrons. The PIs will accomplish this investigation through their continuing development of the kinetic theory of superthermal electrons in the ionosphere and plasmasphere. The research will include the following tasks: (1) conducting a numerical study of the non-steady-state Boltzmann- Landau kinetic equation for superthermal electrons in the ionosphere and plasmasphere along open and closed geomagnetic field lines, (2) incorporating the non-steady-state ionospheric- plasmaspheric coupling of the superthermal electrons in a time- dependent transport model of plasma flows, (3) considering an electrodynamical aspect of the non-steady-state transport of superthermal electrons and including the effects of the electron distribution function in the formation of a self-consistent electrostatic potential in the space plasma, and (4) exploring the linear theory of plasma wave generation in the ionosphere- plasmasphere system due to the presence of superthermal electrons.
