variation in the precipitating fluxes. The results of these processes will be similar to the conditions experienced during solar flare events with bandspreading and signal fadeout (10) occurring. For another view of SPS induced perturbations in the magnetosphere we refer the reader to the literature (21). The effects of this long-term enhanced precipitation and Ar+ injection on the radiation belts' populations reauires additional research on radiation belt source and sink mechanisms. However, it appears quite possible that radiation belt fluxes due to alterations of both sources and sinks may remain at levels comparable to their present ones. B. Communications Effects Due to Outer Magnetosphere Perturbations Although no beam injection occurs beyond geosynchronous earth orbit some beams will be injected closer to the earth in the magnetotail direction. We note that the beam is injected tangentially to the transfer vehicle’s orbit. In the outer magnetosphere, the beam density > n,. where n,. is the critical density above which the beam is not stopped (3). Thus, some of these beams will propagate through the magnetotail shedding Ar+ due to the gradient in the polarization electric field across their sheath. Again these shed Ar+ ions are anisotropic. This anisotropy provides the free energy source to drive an ion cyclotron instability. The ion cyclotron instability can rise to anomalous resistivity (22.23). For relatively high mass ions such as Ar\ the instability threshold is lower (24) and hence the resistivity may reach a high level before the instability is shut off (19). Naturally occurring O+ ions of ionospheric origin in the tail would require a level of free energy comparable to that of the Ar+ ions in order to be a source of anomalous resistivity. The increase in anomalous resistivity could lead to an increase in the rate of magnetic field line merging (C. S. Wu, private communication). Due to the possible connection between merging and substorms (25), the result could be an increased frequency of magnetospheric substorms with potentially disruptive effects on the high latitude ionosphere and radio communications. An increase in auroral activity could also be expected. As within the plasmasphere, the beam deposited Ar+ will drive instabilities and hence give rise to turbulence. The result of the turbulence could be increased precipitation of ions naturally occurring in the outer magnetosphere shown in Figure 4b. Arf will also be precipitated out of this region. Since L > 4, the precipitation will occur at higher latitudes giving rise to ionization irregularities and therefore radio communication impairment at these higher latitudes. Finally, we note that convective electric fields by their effects on Ar' drift motion, may also play an important role in loss processes in the outer magnetosphere and limit the Ar+ lifetimes (8). 5. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS In the preceding sections we have described possible consequences of one aspect of the construction of a large fleet of solar power stations. The part of the construction process considered was the transport of large quantities of materials with total masses in the range of hundreds of thousands of metric tons from low earth orbit to geosynchronous earth orbit. This orbital transfer procedure would entail the release of millions of kilograms of 5 keV argon ions modifying the near earth plasma en-
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