Acceleration of particles by lower-hybrid waves in space plasmas

Processes that control plasma behaviour at boundaries are important in our understanding of inter-acting plasmas, such as the interaction of the solar wind with planetary magnetospheres and comets. One of the important aspects of this interaction is its '' collisionless '' nature ie the lack of collisions between the plasma particles. In the absence of normal particle collisions wave particle interactions and plasma turbulence become dominant mechanisms for the transport of energy and momentum between different plasma populations. The interaction between the particles and turbulent fields leads to particle acceleration and heating producing nonthermal electron and ion distribution functions. Lower-hybrid waves are ideal at transferring energy between ions and electrons and the auroral region is an ideal laboratory to understand both linear and nonlinear interactions.