R. G. Gillies

First observations from the RISR‐C incoherent scatter radar

First-light measurements from the Canadian face of the Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar (RISR-C) were taken in August of 2015. Data were taken for roughly 25 hours on both RISR-C and the North face of the Resolute Bay radar (RISR-N) in an 11-beam World Day mode. Overall, the measurements from the RISR-C radar are of high quality and consistent with results from the RISR-N radar. During the 25-hour period analyzed in this study, the ionosphere responded to changes in orientation of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF). During one particular event, a change from Bz negative to positive and By positive to negative caused the anti-sunward flow to stall, and a strong dawn-to-dusk flow, with decreased electron density and increased ion temperature, replaced it in the RISR-C field-of-view. Overall, it is clear that measurements from the RISR-C radar will complement and greatly expand the scope of ionospheric polar cap measurements.

Identifying the 630 nm auroral arc emission height: A comparison of the triangulation, FAC profile, and electron density methods

We present a comprehensive survey of 630 nm (red-line) emission discrete auroral arcs using the newly deployed Red-line Emission Geospace Observatory (REGO). In this study we discuss the need for observations of 630 nm aurora and issues with the large altitude range of the red-line aurora. We compare field-aligned currents (FACs) measured by the Swarm constellation of satellites with the location of 10 red-line (630 nm) auroral arcs observed by all-sky imagers (ASIs), and find that a characteristic emission height of 200 km applied to the ASI maps gives optimal agreement between the two observations. We also compare the new FAC method against the traditional triangulation method using pairs of All-Sky Imagers (ASIs), and against electron density profiles obtained from the RISR-C radar, both of which are consistent with a characteristic emission height of 200 km.