This paper presents a new algorithm for detecting high-speed flow channels in the polar cap.The algorithm was applied to Super Dual Auroral Radar Network data, specifically to data from the new Longyearbyen radar. This radar is located at 78.2 • N, 16.0 • E geographical coordinates looking north-east, and is therefore at an ideal location to measure flow channels in the high-latitude polar cap. The algorithm detected >500 events over 1 year of observations, and within this paper two case studies are considered in more detail. A flow channel on "old-open field lines" located on the dawn flank was directly driven under quiet conditions over 13 min. This flow channel contributed to a significant fraction (60%) of the cross polar cap potential and was located on the edge of a polar cap arc. Another case study follows the development of a flow channel on newly opened field lines within the cusp. This flow channel is a spontaneously driven event forming under strong solar wind driving and is intermittently excited over the course of almost an hour. As they provide a high fraction of the cross polar cap potential, these small-scale structures are vital for understanding the transport of magnetic flux over the polar cap.

Throat auroras have been suggested to be related to indentations on the subsolar magnetopause. However, the indentation generation process and the resulting ionospheric responses have remained unknown. An EISCAT Svalbard Radar experiment was designed to run with all‐sky cameras, which enabled us for the first time to observe the temporal and spatial evolution of flow reversals, Joule heating, and ion upflows associated with throat aurora. The high‐resolution data enabled us to discriminate that the flow bursts and Joule heating were concurrent and co‐located, but were always observed on the west side of the associated throat auroras, reflecting that the upward/downward field‐aligned currents associated with throat aurora are always to the east/west, respectively. These results are consistent with the geometry of Southwood (1987) flux transfer event model and provide strong evidence for throat aurora being associated with magnetopause reconnection events. The results also support a conceptual model of the throat aurora.

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are subject to disturbances caused by plasma irregularities in the ionosphere. Studies have suggested that in addition to the gradient drift and Kelvin‐Helmholtz instabilities, electron precipitation may be important for phase scintillations in the dayside auroral region. This study combines in situ Swarm data with ground GNSS observations to investigate the potential role of filamentary field‐aligned currents (FACs) on phase scintillations in the dayside auroral region by analyzing 22 events with phase scintillations exceeding 0.45 radians. We observe colocation between regions of severe phase scintillations and highly filamented FACs with fluctuations measured in the spacecraft frame of the order of 20 Hz. The observations indicate that filamentary FACs are crucial drivers for irregularities responsible for creating severe phase scintillations measured in the dayside auroral region and are thus of significant importance in the context of space weather impact on satellite communication.

An algorithm to detect high-speed ionospheric flow channels (FCs) in the polar cap was applied to data from the Longyearbyen radar of the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network. The Longyearbyen radar is at high latitude (78.2 • N, 16.0 • E geographic coordinates) and points northeast; therefore, it is in an ideal position for measuring zonal flows in the polar cap. The algorithm detected 998 events in the dayside polar cap region over 2 years of observations. The detected FCs typically were between 200 and 300 km latitudinal width, 1.1-1.3 km s −1 peak velocity, and 3 min in duration. The FC location shows an interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) By dependency, moving dawnward/duskward for a +By/−By. The FC monthly occurrence shows a bimodal distribution with peaks around the spring and autumn equinoxes, likely due to increased coupling between the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere system at these times. The highest peak velocities show an absence of broad FC widths, suggesting that as the flow speed increases in the polar cap, the channels become more localized and narrow.