Recent discoveries by Freja, FAST and other satellites have brought important new elements into the picture, and provided a much improved empirical basis for clarifying the complex physics of the auroral particle acceleration. It is therefore to be expected that the next couple of years will be a very active and fruitful phase in this field of research.
This 2nd EGS sponsored Alfvén Conference focusses on the various aspects of auroral particle acceleration. The conference is intended to stimulate progress by being a forum for presentation and discussion of the latest results and for planning new research efforts and collaborations. The topic is particularly appropriate for an Alfvén Conference, because auroral particle acceleration was a subject at the core of Hannes Alfvén's scientific interest, and one where he made pioneering contributions.
Convenors: Göran Marklund and Rickard Lundin
Programme Committee: G. Marklund (chair), M. André, R. Bingham, L. Blomberg, R. Boström, C. W. Carlson, C.-G. Fälthammar, G. Haerendel, P.-A. Lindqvist, R. Lundin, R. L. Lysak, T. Mukai, J. S. Murphree, R. Pottelette, M. Yamauchi.
Local Organizer: Alfvén Laboratory, KTH, Stockholm. Chair: Per-Arne Lindqvist
Abstract and Pre-registration Deadline: 1 February 1999
Proceedings: Proceedings are planned in the EGS journal "Physics and Chemistry of the Earth."
Tentative Programme Topics: Generation and maintenance of parallel electric fields, Wave-particle interaction, Observational evidence of auroral particle acceleration, Numerical simulations of ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling processes, Coupling between acceleration processes in the return current region and in the upward current region, Acceleration processes in astrophysical plasmas and results from laboratory experiments of relevance to the aurora.