A study of V-shaped potential formation using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations

In this research, two-dimensional electrostatic Particle-In-Cell simulation techniques were used to study the dynamic formation of V-shaped potential structures in the upward current regions of auroral plasmas. These simulations imposed a non-constant but more realistic spatially varying external magnetic field that increases in magnitude as it nears the ionospheric regions. A characteristic of these simulations was that V-shaped potential structures became clearly visible within the expanding plasma as they evolved, with a transversely non-uniform converging perpendicular electric field being evident. These observations were consistent across a wide range of simulation sizes. The inclusion of dipole-like magnetic fields in the auroral region leads to more visible V-shaped potential structure than that in the simulations with a constant magnetic field.