Abstract
AbstractA statistical study on the cross‐scale property on the temporal variations of pulsating aurora intensity was conducted on 53 events observed at the Poker Flat Research Range during the period from 1 December 2011 to 1 March 2012. The observed modulation frequency ranged from 1.5 to 3.3 Hz, and strong modulations were not seen in the frequency range higher than about 3 Hz. This suggests that the time of flight of electrons has a time‐smoothing effect on the more rapid variations above 3 Hz. Furthermore, the frequency of modulation showed relatively strong correlation to auroral intensity (correlation coefficient of 0.58), and it can be explained with nonlinear wave growth theory, in which the modulation frequency increases with the wave amplitude of the whistler mode chorus. In contrast, the on‐off pulsations showed no significant correlations with auroral intensity. This result probably implies that several different plasma processes with different time scales from nonlinear wave growth should be taken into account when determining the on‐off periods. In particular, we suggest that long‐term variations in the cold plasma density play a dominant role in controlling the conditions of wave‐particle interactions that have temporal scale of the on‐off pulsation periods.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.