Polar views of the Earth's aurora with Dynamics Explorer

Frank, L. A.; Craven, J. D.; Burch, J. L.; Winningham, J. D.

doi:10.1029/gl009i009p01001

Cited by 279 publications

(179 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…This auroral feature is similar in appearance to transpolar or "theta" arc configurations reported by Frank et al (1982), for which no complete theoretical explanation is available. The purpose of this report is to use a fortunate orbital configuration of three low-altitude polar-orbiting spacecraft to probe the distribution of precipitating plasma responsible for the arc.…”

Section: Observationssupporting

confidence: 60%

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A multiple‐satellite observation of the high‐latitude auroral activity on January 11, 1983

Gorney¹,

Evans²,

Gussenhoven³

et al. 1986

J. Geophys. Res.

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Unusual high‐latitude auroral activity occurred on January 11, 1983, during a period of persistent interplanetary magnetic field Bz > 0, By > 0, and Bx > 0. This activity, which lasted from 0600 to 2100 UT, was characterized by numerous high‐latitude sun‐aligned arcs and a diffuse oval. Near 1500 UT a single broad (250 km) sun‐aligned arc was observed by the optical line scan system on Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F6. The arc was continguous with the dawn auroral oval and extended across the northern polar cap, similar to previously reported “theta aurora” configurations. The fortunate orbital locations of the DMSP F6, NOAA 7, and NOAA 6 satellites allow a detailed analysis of the precipitating particle populations responsible for both the sun‐aligned arc and oval auroras. Specifically, NOAA 7 and DMSP F6 cross the broad sun‐aligned arc almost simultaneously in the northern hemisphere, with NOAA 7 crossing the arc 1500 km farther toward the dayside. During the arc crossing, NOAA 7 observes electron fluxes, temperatures, and accelerations similar to those observed by DMSP F6 but observes ion fluxes diminished by a factor of 50 in comparison with DMSP. Almost simultaneously, NOAA 6 crosses the southern polar cap and observes flux levels in an apparent high‐latitude arc comparable to those observed by DMSP. The results are consistent with, but supplementary to, previous observations of high‐latitude auroral observations and thus place meaningful constraints on emerging theoretical concepts of this phenomenon.

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Section: Observationssupporting

confidence: 60%

“…The observations presented in the previous section describe an event which is similar in character if not in detail to other observations of polar cap arcs, theta arcs, and transpolar arcs (see Frank et al, 1982;Meng, 1981;Murphree et al, 1982;Gussenhoven, 1982).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

A multiple‐satellite observation of the high‐latitude auroral activity on January 11, 1983

Gorney¹,

Evans²,

Gussenhoven³

et al. 1986

J. Geophys. Res.

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“…Since the first global observation of transpolar arcs (TPA's) [Frank et al, 1982] there have been many studies on this subject. While the source region of small-scale polar arcs remains unclear [e.g., Bonnell et al, 1999] TPA's are commonly believed to map to the tail plasma sheet or its boundary layer [e.g., Frank and Craven, 1988].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the source region of small-scale polar arcs remains unclear [e.g., Bonnell et al, 1999] TPA's are commonly believed to map to the tail plasma sheet or its boundary layer [e.g., Frank and Craven, 1988]. Different topologies of the magnetotail have been proposed for TPA events.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The connection between transpolar arcs and magnetotail rotation

Kullén

2000

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…These models are here called the 'open' [Hardy et al, 1982;Burke et al, 1982;Chiu, 1989;Gussenhoven and Mullen, 1989], 'bifurcated tail' [Frank et al, 1982;Kan and Burke, 1985;Frank and Craven, 1988;Toffoletto and Hill, 1990], 'expanded plasma sheet' [Meng, 1981;1988;Murphree et al, 1982;Makita et al, 1991], and 'expanded low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL)' [Lundin and Evans, 1985;Lundin et al, 1990] models. A fifth model, which relies on the rotation of the tail x-line, is also introduced and discussed briefly [Reiff et al 1992].…”

Section: Morphology Of the Polar Capmentioning

confidence: 99%

Convection and Electrodynamic Signatures in the Vicinity of a Sun-Aligned Arc: Results from the Polar Acceleration Regions and Convection Study (Polar Arcs)

Weiss¹,

Weber²,

Reiff³

et al. 2013

Auroral Plasma Dynamics

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An experimental campaign designed to study high-latitude auroral arcs was conducted in Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland, on February 26, 1987. The Polar Acceleration Regions and Convection Study (Polar ARCS) consisted of a coordinated set of ground-based, airborne, and sounding rocket measurements of a weak, sun-aligned arc system within the duskside polar cap. A rocket-borne barium release experiment, two DMSP satellite overflights, all-sky photography, and incoherent scatter radar measurements provided information on the large-scale plasma convection over the polar cap region while a second rocket instrumented with a DC magnetometer, Langmuir and electric field probes, and an electron spectrometer provided measurements of small-scale electrodynamics. The large-scale data indicate that small, sun-aligned precipitation events formed within a region of antisunward convection between the duskside auroral oval and a large sun-aligned arc further poleward. This convection signature, used to assess the relationship of the sun-aligned arc to the large-scale magnetospheric configuration, is found to be consistent with either a model in which the arc formed on open field lines on die dusk side of a bifurcated polar cap or on closed field lines threading an expanded low-latitude boundary layer, but not a model in which the polar cap arc field lines map to an expanded plasma sheet. The antisunward convection signature may also be explained by a model in which the polar cap arc formed on long field lines recently reconnected through a highly skewed plasma sheet. The small-scale measurements indicate the rocket passed through three narrow (< 20 km) regions of low-energy (< 100 eV) electron precipitation in which the electric and magnetic field perturbations were well correlated. These precipitation events are shown to be associated with regions of downward Poynting flux and small-scale upward and downward field-aligned currents of 1-2 u.A/m 2 . The paired field-aligned currents are associated with velocity shears (higher and lower speed streams) embedded in the region of antisunward flow.

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Polar views of the Earth's aurora with Dynamics Explorer

Cited by 279 publications

References 3 publications

A multiple‐satellite observation of the high‐latitude auroral activity on January 11, 1983

A multiple‐satellite observation of the high‐latitude auroral activity on January 11, 1983

The connection between transpolar arcs and magnetotail rotation

Convection and Electrodynamic Signatures in the Vicinity of a Sun-Aligned Arc: Results from the Polar Acceleration Regions and Convection Study (Polar Arcs)

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