Bursts of Auroral-Hiss VLF Emissions on the Earth’s Surface at L ~ 5.5 and Geomagnetic Disturbances

Abstract

We have studied the geomagnetic conditions during the occurrence of auroral-hiss VLF emissions on the Earth’s surface in the form of noise bursts at frequencies above 5–6 kHz. The study is based on an analysis of auroral-hiss observations at auroral latitudes in northern Finland at Kannuslehto station (KAN, L ~ 5.5) during the winter campaigns of 2013–2018. It is shown that auroral-hiss bursts are most often observed in the interval of 20–01 MLT under low geomagnetic activity (Kp < 3). It has been found that the bursts are typical for the growth phase of a magnetospheric substorm; the bursts cease abruptly at the onset of the substorm (the break-up of auroras), which is apparently due to a drastic increase in the absorption of VLF waves in the ionosphere. The bursts are often accompanied by the generation of geomagnetic Pi2 pulsations. VLF observations have shown that auroral-hiss bursts are not observed on the Earth’s surface in the main phase of magnetic storms; however, they are typical of the recovery phase. It has been found from model data that, during the occurrence of auroral hiss, KAN station is usually projected to the near-equatorial region of the auroral oval or to the zone of diffuse precipitation of more energetic electrons, i.e., to lower latitudes than the typical position of visible auroras during that time.