Correlation of an auroral arc and a subvisible monochromatic 6300 A arc with outer-zone radiation on November 28, 1959

Abstract

During a severe geomagnetic storm on November 28, 1959, two Geiger tubes on satellite Explorer VII (1959t) found anomalies in the outer radiation zone at an altitude of about 1000 km which appear to be correlated in space and time with optical emissions from the atmosphere beneath. Very intense narrow zones of radiation were detected over a visible aurora during one pass. The radiation in three such zones was harder toward low latitudes. On three subsequent passes the radiation zone was deduced to be over a subvisible 6300 A arc, whose brightness diminished as the radiation zones became less intense. The correlation is discussed.