Abstract
Abstract Current models for the origin of discrete auroral phenomena cannot explain extremely thin field aligned layers of auroral luminosity caused by low energy electrons. These very small-scale auroral forms occur both embedded in broader auroral displays and isolated as faint auroral rays. We suggest that a resistive instability operating in and above the topside ionosphere may be a promising candidate for an ionospheric cause of very small-scale auroral phenomena. We investigate this instability process by means of numerical simulations carried out by a 3D plasma-neutral gas fluid code. Our numerical results show remarkable correspondence to a number of often observed characteristic features of the lower auroral acceleration region (e.g. field-aligned plasma flows, density cavitons, plasma heating) as observed by Freja, EISCAT and rocket missions.
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