[1] Using auroral TV data and particle precipitation data from low-altitude satellites, we identify the ionospheric signature of magnetotail dipolarizations and substorm injections measured in the near-Earth near-equatorial plasma sheet by Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS). Field line mapping exploits a recently developed time-dependent adaptive model which minimizes the variance to THEMIS in situ magnetotail observations. We present strong evidence that the equatorward edge of the auroral bulge corresponds to the innermost extent of earthward propagating dipolarization fronts in the magnetosphere, whereas individual equatorward moving auroral enhancements correspond to the motion of individual injection fronts reaching at times distances as close to Earth as 5.5 R E . The region of tail dipolarization corresponds to the auroral bulge, a broad spatial region of enhanced but structured auroral emissions, bounded on the poleward side by discrete auroral forms and on the equatorward side by a sharp drop in auroral luminosity and particle precipitation. Particle precipitation within the bulge is enhanced considerably at the energies above 30 keV. Ionospheric protons are isotropic and electrons are anisotropic but with fluctuating fluxes which are below, but on occasion comparable with, trapped levels. The equatorward edge of the bulge, herein termed the "Equatorward edge of Auroral Bulge" propagates during substorm expansion toward lower latitudes, initially fast (corresponding to 100 km/s in space at r ∼ 7 R E ) but with decreasing speed after onset. Our adaptive model mapping suggests that equatorial points at near-geosynchronous altitude can map to ionospheric magnetic latitudes up to 2°-3°off of predictions using standard T96 models. The offsets can be either toward lower latitudes due to field line stretching before auroral breakup or toward higher latitudes after breakup due to the near-Earth tail dipolarization.

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Abstract. We study the isolated substorm that occurred after a long quiet period, which showed all of the substorm signatures except for the first half hour of the expansion phase, which could be characterized as a pseudobreakup sequence, rather than a full-scale substorm onset. During the considered event, the substorm's instability leads to a current disruption, which starts at the near-Earth plasma sheet and then propagates tailward. Based on auroral observations, the analysis of geosynchronous plasma injections, and the plasma sheet observations at ∼15 R E at the meridian of auroral substorm development we show that (1) before and probably during "pseudobreakup phase", the plasma sheet stayed cold and dense, (2) during the pseudobreakup phase, particle injections at 6.6 R E were only seen in unusually low energy components, and (3) the electron precipitation into the ionosphere was very soft. We conclude that the basic difference between pseudobreakups and "real" substorm activations was found in the low energy of all manifestations. We suggest that high density and low electron temperature in the plasma sheet are the reasons for low energization in the magnetic reconnection operated on closed field lines in the plasma sheet, as well as the weak field-aligned acceleration, as predicted by the Knight's relationship. The low Hall conductivity could then be the reason for the weak ground magnetic effects observed. This explanation suggests that the role of the ionospheric conductivity is "passive" as the plasma sheet, rather than the ionosphere, controls the development of the magnetospheric instability.

Abstract. More than 60 breakups, including weak activations of the pseudo-breakup type, moderate breakups, and events of very strong auroral activity, were analyzed using ground-based TV data, together with satellite auroral images. We studied the fine subvisual details of spatial and temporal dynamics of active auroral forms and surrounding diffuse luminosity, both in the longitudinal and latitudinal directions of the TV camera field of view. For all types of breakups a close interconnection of auroral activity was found across and along the auroral oval.

Abstract. The knowledge about the relative timing of events during the substorm expansion phase onset is very important for understanding the physics of substorms. In this work ground-based television (TV) imaging technique was used for observations of the first auroral arc brightening near zenith of TV chamber for the case of an isolated substorm. The method of the TV image filtration was used giving the possibility to analyze motion of sub visual auroral arcs. The analysis of the connection between the first auroral arc brightening and the beginning of magnetic disturbance was carried out. It was shown that luminosity disturbance is absent to the pole of breakup arc before the breakup and there exist a delay time between the brightening and start of intense magnetic fluctuations in the Pi1-Pi2 frequency ranges. The results obtained have been compared with predictions of theories of auroral breakup.