Detection of suprathermal O+ ions inside the plasmasphere

The plasma diagnostic experiments on the AUREOL-3 satellite have revealed flows of low energy O+ ions deep inside the night plasmasphere during a large substorm. Flux gradients of the O+ ions were accompanied by enhancements of ELF electric field noise. The appearance of suprathermal ions at L ≅ 2.5 - 3 is interpreted within the framework of electrostatic ion-cyclotron acceleration of ionospheric ions in the diffuse auroral zone /12/ followed by a radial displacement of these ions inside the plasmasphere driven by azimuthal electric fields during substorm activity. Electrostatic oscillations observed inside the plasmasphere are apparently associated with gradient instability at the sharp boundaries of suprathermal ion flows