P. C. Anderson

A proposed production model of rapid subauroral ion drifts and their relationship to substorm evolution

Multisatellite data are used to examine the temporal relationship between Subauroral Ion Drifts (SAID) and the phases of an auroral substorm. Utilizing images of auroral luminosities taken by the Dynamics Explorer 1 (DE 1) spacecraft and observations of particle injection at geosynchronous orbit, we identify the time of expansive phase onset and estimate the time at which recovery begins. Noting the times at which SAID are observed simultaneously by the DE 2 spacecraft, we find that SAID typically occur well after substorm onset (more than 30 min), during the substorm recovery phase. Substantial westward ion drifts and field-aligned currents are observed well equatorward of the auroral oval during the expansion phase of a substorm, but the drifts lack the narrow spike signature associated with SAID. Prior to substorm onset and after substorm recovery, field-aligned currents are absent equatorward of the auroral oval and the ionosphere is very nearly corotating. A phenomenological model of SAID production is proposed that qualitatively agrees with the observed ionospheric signatures and substorm temporal relationship. In this model, substorm-generated, subauroral field-aligned currents close via Pedersen currents with the outward flowing, region 1 currents at higher latitudes. These Pedersen currents flow in the region of low conductivity equatorward of the auroral oval and are associated with relatively large, poleward directed electric fields. The frictional heating of the ions caused by collisions with the corotating neutral atmosphere substantially increases the rate of ion-atom interchange between O+ and N2. Subsequent fast recombination of NO+ with electrons further reduces the subauroral F region conductivities with a corresponding increase in the electric field and the frictional heating. This heating leads to thermal expansion, substantial field-aligned plasma flow, and very large depletions in the F peak concentration, thus additionally reducing the height-integrated Pedersen conductivity.

The ionospheric signatures of rapid subauroral ion drifts

Subauroral ion drifts (SAID) are latitudinally narrow regions of rapid westward ion drift located in the evening sector and centered on the equatorward edge of the diffuse aurora. Observations of SAID as identified by the ion drift meters on the Atmosphere Explorer C and Dynamics Explorer B spacecraft are utilized to determine their effect on the F region ion composition, their relationship to the mid-latitude trough, and their temporal evolution. At altitudes near the F peak a deep ionization trough is formed in regions of large ion drift where the O{sup +} concentration is considerably depleted and the NO{sup +} concentration is enhanced, while at higher altitudes the trough signature is considerably mitigated or even absent. SAID have been observed to last longer than 30 min but less than 3 hours, and their latitudinal width often becomes narrower as time progresses. The plasma flows westward equatorward of the SAID and becomes more westward as invariant latitude increases. Poleward of the SAID, the flow is, on average, westward throughout the auroral zone in the evening, while near midnight it becomes eastward.

Multisatellite observations of rapid subauroral ion drifts (SAID)

We present the first conjugate observations of subauroral ion drifts (SAID) in the magnetosphere (∼9000 km altitude) and ionosphere and coincident measurements by four ionospheric satellites. The parameters measured include ion drifts, energetic precipitating electrons and ions, and the magnetic field perturbations associated with field-aligned currents. Observations indicate that SAID are very coherent features that occur simultaneously over a large magnetic local time (MLT) range, from at least 1600 to 2400 MLT. The equatorward extent of SAID, the ion precipitation, and the region 2 field-aligned currents (FAC) flowing into the ionosphere are all shown to be coincident at all MLT locations where SAID are observed. They also appear to be closely related to the conductivity distribution in the subauroral ionosphere and the midlatitude trough. This is interpreted as an indication that their latitudinal distribution is a consequence of the subauroral conductivity structure and the movement of the plasma sheet ion and electron boundaries. Conjugate measurements at diverse altitudes when mapped along field lines are nearly identical, indicating the absence of significant field-aligned potential drops. Temporally separated SAID measurements in similar MLT regions show a reduction with time in the field-aligned current densities with little reduction in the potential drop across the SAID. We interpret the results as an indication that the magnetosphere acts as a current generator in which large FAC are initially required to support the electric field gradient in a SAID event. Subsequent evolution in the E and F regions produces large conductivity gradients that are in the right sense to remove the intense FAC requirement but maintain the large subauroral electric fields. The reported potential drops in the subauroral region can be a significant fraction of the total, up to 60 kV or more, and must be taken into account when deriving any magnetospheric convection pattern.

Effect of solar wind pressure pulses on the size and strength of the auroral oval

[1]xa0It has recently been found that solar wind dynamic pressure changes can dramatically affect the precipitation of magnetospheric particles on the high-latitude ionosphere. We have examined the effect of large solar wind dynamic pressure increases on the location, size, and intensity of the auroral oval using particle precipitation data from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft. Three events have been selected for study during the time period after 1997 when four DMSP spacecraft (F11–F14) were simultaneously operational. Interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation is different from event to event. For each event, we determine equatorward and poleward boundaries of the auroral oval before and after an increase in solar wind pressure. Also, using measured integral fluxes, we construct precipitating particle energy input maps for the auroral oval. All cases studied show a significant change of the auroral oval location, size, and intensity in response to the solar wind pressure pulse. Most prominent are an increase of the auroral zone width and a decrease of the polar cap size when the solar wind dynamic pressure increases under steady southward IMF conditions. An increase in total precipitating particle energy flux is also observed. A smaller response is seen when the IMF Bz has a simultaneous northward turning and when it is nearly zero before the pressure enhancement. Our results also point to significant differences between the auroral precipitation response to solar wind pressure changes and its response to isolated substorms, the former inducing a global auroral reaction while the latter is related to more localized premidnight disturbances. Auroral UV observations from the Polar spacecraft during our events are found to give results consistent with the results we get from the precipitating particle observations.

Electrodynamic parameters in the nighttime sector during auroral substorms

The characteristics of the large-scale electrodynamic parameters, field-aligned currents (FACs), electric fields, and electron precipitation, which are associated with auroral substorm events in the nighttime sector, have been obtained through a unique analysis which places the ionospheric measurements of these parameters into the context of a generic substorm determined from global auroral images. A generic bulge-type auroral emission region has been deduced from auroral images taken by the Dynamics Explorer 1 (DE 1) satellite during a number of isolated substorms, and the form has been divided into six sectors, based on the peculiar emission characteristics in each sector: west of bulge, surge horn, surge, middle surge, eastern bulge, and east of bulge. By comparing the location of passes of the Dynamics Explorer 2 (DE 2) satellite to the simultaneously obtained auroral images, each pass is placed onto the generic aurora. The organization of DE 2 data in this way has systematically clarified peculiar characteristics in the electrodynamic parameters. An upward net current mainly appears in the surge, with little net current in the surge horn and the west of bulge. The downward net current is distributed over wide longitudinal regions from the eastern bulge to the east of bulge. Near the poleward boundary of the expanding auroral bulge, a pair of oppositely directed FAC sheets is observed, with the downward FAC on the poleward side. This downward FAC and most of the upward FAC in the surge and the middle surge are associated with narrow, intense antisunward convection, corresponding to an equatorward directed spikelike electric field. This pair of currents decreases in amplitude and latitudinal width toward dusk in the surge and the west of bulge, and the region 1 and 2 FACs become embedded in the sunward convection region. The upward FAC region associated with the spikelike field on the poleward edge of the bulge coincides well with intense electron precipitation and aurora appearing in this western and poleward portion of the bulge. The convection reversal is sharp in the west of bulge and surge horn sectors, and near the high-latitude boundary of the upward region 1 FAC. In the surge, the convection reversal is near the low-latitude boundary of the upward region 1, with a near stagnation region often extending over a large interval of latitude. In the eastern bulge and east of bulge sectors, the region 1 and 2 FACs are located in the sunward convection region, while a spikelike electric field occasionally appears poleward of the aurora but usually not associated with a pair of FAC sheets. In the eastern bulge, magnetic field data show complicated FAC distributions which correspond to current segments and filamentary currents.

Shock aurora: FAST and DMSP observations

[1]xa0Global signatures of the aurora caused by interplanetary shocks/pressure pulses have been studied in recent years using ultraviolet imager data from polar orbiting spacecraft. The signatures include the occurrence of the aurora first near local noon and then propagation antisunward along the auroral oval at very high speeds. To better understand the mechanisms of particle precipitation, in this paper we study shock auroras using near-Earth observations of the FAST and DMSP satellites. We have studied the events that occurred during 1996–2000 where FAST and/or DMSP crossed the dawnside or duskside auroral zone within 10 min after shocks/pressure pulses arrived at the nose of the magnetopause. It is found that the electron precipitation increased significantly above the dawnside and duskside auroral oval zone after the shock/pressure pulse arrivals. The precipitation structure is low-energy electrons (<∼1 keV) at higher latitudes (∼75°–83° ILAT within 0600–0900 MLT) and high-energy electrons (∼1–10 keV) at lower latitudes (∼65°–79° ILAT) of the auroral zone. There are a few degrees (1°–4° ILAT) of overlap between these two categories of precipitated electrons. The precipitation of low-energy electrons was along highly structured field-aligned currents. The precipitation of the high-energy electrons was highly isotropic filling the loss cone. Possible mechanisms of field-aligned current generation are some dynamic processes occurring on the dayside magnetopause, such as magnetic shearing, magnetopause perturbation, magnetic reconnection, and Alfven wave generation. Adiabatic compression might have caused the high-energy electron precipitation. On the basis of observations of FAST and DMSP, shock auroras are speculated to be diffuse auroras at the lower latitudes of the dayside auroral oval and discrete auroras on the poleward boundary of the oval with a few latitude degree overlap of the two types of auroras.

Enhanced solar wind geoeffectiveness after a sudden increase in dynamic pressure during southward IMF orientation

[1]xa0It is well known that a persistent southward Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) produces increased geomagnetic activity. It has recently been shown that a sudden increase in solar wind pressure results in poleward expansion of the auroral oval and closing of the polar cap over a wide range of MLTs, and this effect is more pronounced under southward IMF orientation. We show that southward IMF conditions combined with high solar wind dynamic pressure immediately after a pressure front impact lead to enhanced coupling between the solar wind and the terrestrial magnetosphere, significantly increasing the geoeffectiveness of the solar wind. We evaluate geoeffectiveness by the coupling efficiency, defined as the ratio of the cross-polar-cap potential measured by Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft to the cross-magnetospheric potential calculated using solar wind parameters. We examine changes in the size of the polar cap and the coupling efficiency for a number of solar wind pressure enhancements under southward IMF configuration. We confirm the previously observed closing of the polar cap and show that there is a simultaneous increase of the coupling efficiency. This increase is measured for all cases, despite the fact that the magnetosphere is greatly compressed, and the increase is measured even when the solar wind electric field is reduced.

Staircase ion signature in the polar cusp - A case study

On 15 October 1981 Dynamics Explorer 2 crossed the polar cusp at 1015 MLT and observed three distinct ion populations as it was moving poleward. These three populations had peak-flux energy around 2.7 keV, 850 eV and 360 eV. At the time of observation, the IMF was southward. The first step coincided with a rotation of the flow from westward to poleward and then eastward. The second and third steps showed a flow directed principally poleward. Furthermore, the magnetic and electric perturbations in the first step are well fitted by an elongated flux tube footprint model. These results suggest that three consecutive Flux Transfer Events (FTEs) have injected solar wind plasma into the ionosphere forming the polar cusp. The individual FTE signatures can only be identified by the jumps in the precipitation pattern. The newest reconnected FTE footprint was crossed near the edge of the event while the two oldest ones were crossed around the event center. The small latitudinal size of these FTE footprints ([approximately]40 km) and their short recurrence rate (3,6 min) is consistent with an intermittent reconnection taking place at the subsolar point on a short time scale. 21 refs., 4 figs.

On the coupling between the Harang reversal evolution and substorm dynamics: A synthesis of SuperDARN, DMSP, and IMAGE observations

[1]xa0The Harang reversal is a prominent feature frequently observed in the electric and magnetic field patterns in the high-latitude auroral zone and plays an important role in substorm dynamics. A comprehensive set of instruments, including Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN), Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), and Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE), is used to investigate the relationship between the Harang reversal and substorms. On the basis of nine events that have been analyzed, we find that the Harang reversal forms and becomes well defined during the growth phase. Azimuthal flows equatorward of the Harang reversal, a majority of which are in the subauroral region, enhance during the growth phase. The observations indicate that subauroral polarization streams (SAPS) and the Harang reversal evolve together as part of the growth phase development of the region 2 current system. Furthermore, the substorm auroral onset is seen to occur quite near the center of the Harang flow shear, which suggests that the substorm upward field-aligned current develops there. After onset, the evolution of convection flows in the vicinity of the Harang region depends strongly on their location relative to that of the onset. SAPS flows equatorward of the Harang reversal suddenly increase at the substorm onset; flow shear east of the auroral onset relaxes after the onset; and poleward flows, part of a clockwise vortex, are observed west of the auroral onset after the onset. These observations demonstrate the strong coupling between the Harang reversal evolution and substorm dynamics and suggest that the nightside region 2 physics is closely related to substorm dynamics.

Magnetospheric reconnection driven by solar wind pressure fronts

Abstract. Recent work has shown that solar wind dynamic pressure changes can have a dramatic effect on the particle precipitation in the high-latitude ionosphere. It has also been noted that the preexisting interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation can significantly affect the resulting changes in the size, location, and intensity of the auroral oval. Here we focus on the effect of pressure pulses on the size of the auroral oval. We use particle precipitation data from up to four Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) spacecraft and simultaneous POLAR Ultra-Violet Imager (UVI) images to examine three events of solar wind pressure fronts impacting the magnetosphere under two IMF orientations, IMF strongly southward and IMF Bz nearly zero before the pressure jump. We show that the amount of change in the oval and polar cap sizes and the local time extent of the change depends strongly on IMF conditions prior to the pressure enhancement. Under steady southward IMF, a remarkable poleward widening of the oval at all magnetic local times and shrinking of the polar cap are observed after the increase in solar wind pressure. When the IMF Bz is nearly zero before the pressure pulse, a poleward widening of the oval is observed mostly on the nightside while the dayside remains unchanged. We interpret these differences in terms of enhanced magnetospheric reconnection and convection induced by the pressure change. When the IMF is southward for a long time before the pressure jump, open magnetic flux is accumulated in the tail and strong convection exists in the magnetosphere. The compression results in a great enhancement of reconnection across the tail which, coupled with an increase of magnetospheric convection, leads to a dramatic poleward expansion of the oval at all MLTs (dayside and nightside). For near-zero IMF Bz before the pulse the open flux in the tail, available for closing through reconnection, is smaller. This, in combination with the weaker magnetospheric convection, leads to a more limited poleward expansion of the oval, mostly on the nightside. Key words. Magnetospheric physics (solar windmagnetosphere interactions; magnetospheric configuration and dynamics; auroral phenomena)