Investigating the particle precipitation of a moving cusp aurora using simultaneous observations from the ground and space

Abstract

Using observations of a moving cusp aurora from a high-sensitivity all-sky imager at Longyearbyen, Svalbard, and in situ observations of the precipitating particles from a spacecraft that flew over the aurora, we examined the particle precipitation features in the early and final stages of the moving cusp aurora. We focused on two auroral structures created near noon, separated by approximately 3 min, during a southwestward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) condition on 17 December 2012. The second auroral structure occurred when the IMF turned further southward. Immediately after the appearance of the latter structure, the two auroral structures were adjacently situated, and the DMSP F18 spacecraft passed through these regions. A detailed comparison of the data from particle spectrometers onboard the spacecraft and the 630 nm aurora image data demonstrates that the ion precipitation in the young cusp aurora (i.e., second auroral structure) had a high energy flux, whereas that in the old cusp aurora (i.e., first auroral structure) had a very low energy flux. For the electron precipitation, the features in both regions were found to be very similar; the energy flux at approximately 100 eV often exceeded 1 × 109 eV cm−2 s−1 sr−1 eV−1 in both regions. This indicates that the electron precipitation in the moving cusp aurora is maintained at a high flux level over a certain interval from its starting time. Thus, we suggest that the electron precipitation flux in the moving cusp aurora is controlled by a mechanism independent of the ion precipitation.