Ion conics and counterstreaming electrons generated by lower hybrid waves in the Earth´s magnetosphere

The exotic phenomenon of energetic ion-conic and counterstreaming electron formulation by lower hybrid waves along the discrete auroral field lines in the Earth´s magnetosphere is considered. Mean particle calculations, plasma simulations, and analytical treatments of the acceleration processes are described. It is shown that, in the primary auroral electron-beam region, lower hybrid waves could be an efficient mechanism for the transverse heating of ions of ionospheric origin (H ⁺ and O⁺) as well as for the field-aligned heating of the ambient electrons leading to coincident counterstreaming electron distributions. For oxygen ions to be energized by such a wave-particle interaction process, however, some sort of preheating mechanism will be required