Auroral Arcs Research Articles

Conditions in solar wind and magnetosphere during the nontypical VLF hiss burst on December 8, 2013

The features of the dynamics of solar wind and IMF parameters were studied during the initial phase of the weak magnetic storm of December 8, 2013, where a nontypical two hour lasting wide-band (∼4–10 kHz) hiss burst was recorded during VLF observations in auroral latitudes near Sodankyla observatory (L ∼ 5.5), which differed from classical auroral hiss. A similar VLF hiss burst was recorded at Russian Lovozero observatory, which is located ∼400 km to the east. In contrast to a typical auroral hiss, the VLF emissions at both points were left-polarized and arrived at the observation point from the southeast. Although the VLF hiss burst coincided in time with the development of a substorm and the appearance of zenithal bright auroras near the stations traveling north-south, the excitation of the VLF hiss apparently has no relation to the auroras. It is suggested that the VLF emissions were generated due to cyclotron instability far to the east of Scandinavia in the region of plasmapause at L ∼ 3.5, where the equatorial gyrofrequency (f He) is about 20 kHz. The generated VLF waves could be ducted in the plasmapause at frequencies lower than a half of f He, i.e., below ∼10 kHz, they arrive at the Earth’s surface near the projection of their source and propagate in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide to large distances, as left-polarized waves. A sharp increase in the solar wind dynamic pressure was noted during the hiss burst under study, which resulted in a significant contraction of the daytime magnetosphere, a shift of the plasmapause and radiation belt to lower L shells, and the development of a substorm and southward travel of auroral arcs. The VLF hiss may have been generated in the region where energetic particles of the radiation belt crossed the plasmapause. The fact that the hiss under study was generated not in the early morning sector (Scandinavian meridian), but much further to the east, could be indirectly confirmed by quasiperiodic modulation of the VLF noise intensity in the range of Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations, which were observed in this period at eastern stations but not at the Scandinavian meridian.

The dependence of the strength and thickness of field-aligned currents on solar wind and ionospheric parameters.

Sheared plasma flows at the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL) correlate well with early afternoon auroral arcs and upward field-aligned currents. We present a simple analytic model that relates solar wind and ionospheric parameters to the strength and thickness of field-aligned currents (Λ) in a region of sheared velocity, such as the LLBL. We compare the predictions of the model with DMSP observations and find remarkably good scaling of the upward region 1 currents with solar wind and ionospheric parameters in region located at the boundary layer or open field lines at 1100-1700 magnetic local time. We demonstrate that [Formula: see text] and Λ ~ L when Λ/L < 5 where L is the auroral electrostatic scale length. The sheared boundary layer thickness (Δ m ) is inferred to be around 3000 km, which appears to have weak dependence on Vsw. J‖ has dependencies on Δ m , Σ p , nsw, and Vsw. The analytic model provides a simple way to organize data and to infer boundary layer structures from ionospheric data.

Dayside reconnection under interplanetary magnetic field By‐dominated conditions: The formation and movement of bending arcs

AbstractBased upon a survey of global auroral images collected by the Polar Ultraviolet Imager, Kullen et al. (2002) subdivided polar cap auroral arcs into a number of categories, including that of “bending” arcs. We are concerned with those bending arcs that appear as a bifurcation of the dayside auroral oval and which subsequently form a spur intruding into the polar cap. Once formed, the spur moves poleward and antisunward over the lifetime of the arc. We propose that dayside bending arcs are ionospheric signatures of pulses of dayside reconnection and are therefore part of a group of transient phenomena associated with flux transfer events. We observe the formation and subsequent motion of a bending arc across the polar cap during a 30 min interval on 8 January 1999, and we show that this example is consistent with the proposed model. We quantify the motion of the arc and find it to be commensurate with the convection flows observed by both ground‐based radar observations and space‐based particle flow measurements. In addition, precipitating particles coincident with the arc appear to occur along open field lines, lending further support to the model.

Ionospheric loop currents and associated ULF oscillations at geosynchronous altitudes during preonset intervals of substorm aurora

AbstractA substorm aurora was observed at 04:52 UT on 27 January 1986 by an all‐sky imager installed at Shamattawa (66.3°N, 336.0° in corrected geomagnetic coordinates) and a magnetometer on board a conjugate satellite (GOES 6) at geosynchronous altitudes. In the preonset intervals lasting for approximately 50 min prior to the expansion onset, an equatorward drift of the auroras beginning from 71°N to 64°N was observed. Meanwhile, GOES 6 observed ULF oscillations in 25–200 s periods at geosynchronous altitudes after about 10 min following the start of the equatorward drift. During the equatorward drift of the arc, the flow reversal occurred, where the auroral arc propagating eastward was replaced by a westward propagation. Simultaneously, the major axes of the ULF oscillations rotated clockwise by ~90° in the equatorial plane. We conclude that the ULF oscillations are azimuthally small‐scale Alfvén waves excited in the magnetosphere by field‐aligned currents associated with ionospheric loop currents.

Magnetic reconnection in the auroral acceleration region

AbstractEvidence is presented for the operation of extreme guide field magnetic reconnection in the presence of sheared flows in a narrow current sheet through the auroral acceleration region. Using auroral imagery, magnetically conjugate particle measurements and a 3‐D reduced MHD simulation, vortical motions in a narrow, rapidly evolving auroral arc indicative of the operation of magnetic tearing are identified. An estimate of the contribution of this process to the observed rate of energy deposition at the ionosphere shows that while this contribution can be significant it remains a minor fraction of the total. These observations are placed in the context of low magnetic shear reconnection made possible in plasmas with low plasma beta.

On a possible connection between the longitudinally propagating near‐Earth plasma sheet and auroral arc waves: A reexamination

AbstractAzimuthally propagating low‐frequency waves (or wavy structures) often occur in a localized region of the near‐Earth plasma sheet and auroral arc immediately prior to auroral breakup. Although both are believed to be magnetospheric and ionospheric manifestations of a plasma sheet instability that may lead to substorm onset, the fundamental coupling processes behind their relationship are not yet understood. To address this question, we reexamined in detail a fortuitous conjunction event of prebreakup near‐Earth plasma sheet and auroral arc waves, initially reported by Uritsky et al. (2009) using the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms space‐ground observations. The event exhibited a morphological one‐to‐one association between longitudinally propagating arc wave (LPAW) in the ionosphere and Pi2/Pc4 range wave activity in the plasma sheet. Our analysis revealed that (1) the LPAW was the periodic luminosity modulation of the growth phase arc by faint, diffuse, green line‐dominated auroral patches propagating westward along/near the arc, rather than some type of small‐scale arc structuring, such as auroral beads/rays/undulations; and (2) the plasma sheet wave, which had a diamagnetic nature, propagated duskward with accompanying coincident modulation of field‐aligned fluxes of 0.1–30 keV electrons. These findings suggest that the LPAW was likely connected to the plasma sheet wave via modulated diffuse precipitation of hard plasma sheet electrons (&gt; ~1 keV), not via filamentary field‐aligned currents, as expected from the ballooning instability regime. Another potential implication is that such prebreakup low‐frequency wave activity in the near‐Earth plasma sheet is not necessarily guaranteed to initiate prebreakup auroral arc structuring.

Vortices at the magnetic equator generated by hybrid Alfvén resonant waves

We performed three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of shear Alfvén waves in a full field line system with magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and plasma non-uniformities. Feedback instability of the Alfvén resonant modes showed various nonlinear features under the field line cavities: (i) a secondary flow shear instability occurs at the magnetic equator, (ii) trapping of the ionospheric Alfvén resonant modes facilitates deformation of field-aligned current structures, and (iii) hybrid Alfvén resonant modes grow to cause vortices and magnetic oscillations around the magnetic equator. Essential features in the initial brightening of auroral arc at substorm onsets could be explained by the dynamics of Alfvén resonant modes, which are the nature of the field line system responding to a background rapid change.

Observations in the E region ionosphere of kappa distribution functions associated with precipitating auroral electrons and discrete aurorae

AbstractPrecipitating auroral electrons can produce discrete auroral arcs that contain signatures of the magnetospheric auroral source region. Differential number flux observations over two discrete aurorae were obtained by the Auroral Currents and Electrodynamics Structure sounding rocket mission, which successfully launched in 2009. These observations were made at E region altitudes of approximately 130 km. A model of precipitating auroral electrons as described by Evans (1974) was fit to the electron differential number flux obtained by the payloads, and parameters from the model were used to infer properties of the auroral source region. It is shown that the field‐aligned precipitating electrons were better fit by a kappa distribution function versus a Maxwellian distribution function for the equatorward side of the first, quasi‐stable, auroral arc crossing. The latter half of the first auroral arc crossing and second auroral crossing show that the precipitating electrons were better fit by a Maxwellian distribution function, which provides additional observational confirmation of previous studies. The low‐energy electron population determined by the Evans (1974) model was within a factor of 2 of the observed differential number flux. The source region parameters determined from fitting the model to the data were compared with relevant studies from sounding rockets and satellites. Our observations are consistent with the results of Kletzing et al. (2003) that the plasma sheet electrons mapping to auroral zone invariant latitudes are characterized by kappa distribution functions.

Saturn’s auroral morphology and field-aligned currents during a solar wind compression

On 21–22 April 2013, during a coordinated auroral observing campaign, instruments onboard Cassini and the Hubble Space Telescope observed Saturn’s aurora while Cassini traversed Saturn’s high latitude auroral field lines. Signatures of upward and downward field-aligned currents were detected in the nightside magnetosphere in the magnetic field and plasma measurements. The location of the upward current corresponded to the bright ultraviolet auroral arc seen in the auroral images, and the downward current region was located poleward of the upward current in an aurorally dark region. Within the polar cap magnetic field and plasma fluctuations were identified with periods of ∼20 and ∼60min. The northern and southern auroral ovals were observed to rock in latitude in phase with the respective northern and southern planetary period oscillations. A solar wind compression impacted Saturn’s magnetosphere at the start of 22 April 2013, identified by an intensification and extension to lower frequencies of the Saturn kilometric radiation, with the following sequence of effects: (1) intensification of the auroral field-aligned currents; (2) appearance of a localised, intense bulge in the dawnside (04–06 LT) aurora while the midnight sector aurora remained fainter and narrow; and (3) latitudinal broadening and poleward contraction of the nightside aurora, where the poleward motion in this sector is opposite to that expected from a model of the auroral oval’s usual oscillation. These observations are interpreted as the response to tail reconnection events, initially involving Vasyliunas-type reconnection of closed mass-loaded magnetotail field lines, and then proceeding onto open lobe field lines, causing the contraction of the polar cap region on the night side.

Incoherent scatter ion line enhancements and auroral arc-induced Kelvin–Helmholtz turbulence

We present two cases of incoherent-scatter ion line enhancements in conjunction with auroral arcs drifting through the radar beam. The up- and downshifted ion line shoulders as well as the spectral region between them are enhanced equally and simultaneously. The power enhancements are one order of magnitude above the thermal level and are concentrated in less than 15km wide altitude ranges at the ionospheric F region peak. The auroral arc passages are preceded by significantly enhanced ion temperatures in the E region, assumed to be caused by transient electric fields associated with velocity shears. We use a Hall MHD model of velocity shears perpendicular to the geomagnetic field and show that a Kelvin–Helmholtz instability will grow for the two presented cases.

Estimating the vector electric field using monostatic, multibeam incoherent scatter radar measurements

AbstractAn algorithm has been developed to image the local structure in the convection electric field using multibeam incoherent scatter radar (ISR) data. The imaged region covers about 4° in magnetic latitude and 8° in magnetic longitude for the specific geometry considered (that of the Poker Flat ISR). The algorithm implements the Lagrange method of undetermined multipliers to regularize the underdetermined problem posed by the radar measurements. The error on the reconstructed image is estimated by mapping the mathematical form to a Bayesian estimate and observing that the Lagrangian method determines an effective a priori covariance matrix from a user‐defined regularization metric. There exists a unique solution when the average measurement error is smaller than the average measurement amplitude. The algorithm is tested using synthetic and real data and appears surprisingly robust at estimating the divergence of the field. Future applications include imaging the current systems surrounding auroral arcs in order to distinguish physical mechanisms.

Characteristics of Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) naturally enhanced ion-acoustic lines (NEIALs) in relation to auroral forms

Abstract. Naturally enhanced ion-acoustic lines (NEIALs) have been observed with the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) ever since it began operating in 2006. The nearly continuous operation of PFISR since then has led to a large number of NEIAL observations from there, where common-volume, high-resolution auroral imaging data are available. We aim to systematically distinguish the different types of auroral forms that are associated with different NEIAL features, including spectral shape and altitude extent. We believe that NEIALs occur with a continuum of morphological characteristics, although we find that most NEIALs observed with PFISR fall into two general categories. The first group occurs at fairly low altitudes – F region or below – and have power at, and spread between, the ion-acoustic peaks. The second group contains the type of NEIALs that have previously been observed with the EISCAT radars, those that extend to high altitudes (600 km or more) and often have large asymmetries in the power enhancements between the two ion-acoustic shoulders. We find that there is a correlation between the auroral structures and the type of NEIALs observed, and that the auroral structures present during NEIAL events are consistent with the likely NEIAL generation mechanisms inferred in each case. The first type of NEIAL – low altitude – is the most commonly observed with PFISR and is most often associated with active, structured auroral arcs, such as substorm growth phase, and onset arcs and are likely generated by Langmuir turbulence. The second type of NEIAL – high altitude – occurs less frequently in the PFISR radar and is associated with aurora that contains large fluxes of low-energy electrons, as can happen in poleward boundary intensifications as well as at substorm onset and is likely the result of current-driven instabilities and in some cases Langmuir turbulence as well. In addition, a preliminary auroral photometry analysis revealed that there is an anticorrelation between the altitude of the NEIALs and the calculated energy of the electrons, which is consistent with the hypotheses presented here regarding generation mechanisms.

A unified model of auroral arc growth and electron acceleration in the magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling

AbstractA unified physical model of auroral arc growth and electron acceleration is constructed from the gyrokinetic and two‐fluid equations for the magnetosphere‐ionosphere (M‐I) coupling system. The present theory describes destabilization of kinetic Alfvén waves (KAWs) in the M‐I coupling, where development of upward and downward field‐aligned currents carried by the KAWs leads to ionospheric density enhancement and depletion, respectively. The feedback M‐I coupling through KAWs elucidates growth of auroral arcs and field‐aligned acceleration of electrons self‐consistently and provides a possible explanation to the Alfvénic auroras observed by the FAST spacecraft.

Ion temperature anisotropy effects on the dispersion relation and threshold conditions of a sheared current-driven electrostatic ion-acoustic instability with applications to the collisional high-latitude F-region

Plasma instabilities play a important role in producing small-scale irregularities in the ionosphere. In particular, current-driven electrostatic ion-acoustic (CDEIA) instabilities contribute to high-latitude F-region electrodynamics. Ion temperature anisotropies with enhanced perpendicular temperature often exist in the high-latitude F-region. In addition to temperature anisotropies, ion velocity shears are observed near auroral arc edges, sometimes coexisting with thermal ion upflow processes and field-aligned currents (FAC). We investigated whether ion temperature anisotropy lowers the threshold conditions required for the onset of sheared CDEIA instabilities. We generalised a dispersion relation to include ion thermal anisotropy, finite Larmor radius corrections and collisions. We derived new fluid-like analytical expressions for the threshold conditions required for instability that depend explicitly on ion temperature anisotropy. We studied how the instability threshold conditions vary as a function of the wave vector direction in both fluid and kinetic regimes. We found that, despite the dampening effect of collisions on ion-acoustic waves, ion temperature anisotropy lowers in some cases the threshold drift requirements for a large range of oblique wave vector angles. More importantly, realistic ion temperature anisotropies contribute to reducing the instability threshold velocity shears that are associated with small drift thresholds, for modes propagating almost perpendicularly to the geomagnetic field. Small shear thresholds that seem to be sustainable in the ionospheric F-region are obtained for low-frequency waves. Such instabilities could play a role in the direct generation of field-aligned irregularities in the collisional F-region that could be observed with the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) array of high-frequency radars. These modes would be very sensitive to the radar probing direction since they are restricted to very narrow angular intervals. The ion temperature anisotropy is an important parameter that needs to be considered in the studies of sheared and collisional CDEIA waves and instabilities in the high-latitude F-region.

Field line resonances as a trigger and a tracer for substorm onset

AbstractIn this paper, we show that periodic auroral arc structures are seen at the location of one particular auroral substorm onset for the 15 min preceding onset, suggesting that field line resonances should be considered a strong candidate for triggering substorm onset. Irrespective of whether this field line resonance is coincidentally or causally linked to this substorm onset, the characteristics of the field line resonance can be used to remote sense the characteristics of the geomagnetic field line that supports substorm onset. In this instance, the eigenfrequency of this resonance is around 12 mHz. Interestingly, however, there is no evidence of this field line resonance in a seven satellite major Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS)‐GOES conjunction, ranging from geosynchronous orbit to ~30 RE. However, using space‐based cross‐phase measurements of the local field line eigenfrequency at the inner THEMIS locations, we find that the local field line eigenfrequency is 6–10 mHz. Hence, we can reliably say that this 12 mHz Field Line Resonance (FLR) must lie inside of THEMIS locations. Our conclusion is that a high‐m field line resonance can both represent a strong candidate for a trigger for substorm onset, as first proposed by Samson et al. (1992), and that its characteristics can provide invaluable information as to where substorm onset occurs in the magnetosphere.

Circumpolar ground‐based optical measurements of proton and electron shock aurora

AbstractMeridian scanning photometer (MSP) data are combined with global ultraviolet images from the Polar Ultraviolet Imager instrument to estimate the timing and propagation speed of shock auroras previously studied using solely space‐based ultraviolet auroral imagery. The multispectral nature of the MSPs, including the presence of a Balmer beta channel, enables the discrimination between proton and electron aurora. Following a near‐magnetic noon onset, the occurrence of auroral emissions created by shocked precipitating protons and electrons is observed to propagate tailward, along the auroral oval with speeds of several km/s, consistent with the shock propagation speed in the solar wind. In two cases, shock aurora propagation speeds along the auroral oval determined from satellite imagery are confirmed, to within calculated uncertainties, with ground‐based timing. The majority of instruments detect low‐energy discrete auroral arcs poleward of diffuse, higher‐energy aurora. Evidence of a previously reported two‐pulse proton aurora shock onset is detected at some, but not all, locations.

A survey of quiet auroral arc orientation and the effects of the interplanetary magnetic field

Using data from the THEMIS All‐Sky Imager array, we have carried out an extensive study of the orientation of quiet auroral arcs relative to the magnetic east‐west direction. We used over 7500 images of quiet auroral arcs that were collected during extended solar minimum and at various geomagnetic latitudes and longitudes. For each arc, we determined its “tilt” (the angle the arc makes with the local magnetic east‐west direction) and its “multiplicity” (whether or not the arc was part of a multiple‐arc system). We have found that at more equatorward latitudes, arc tilts are within σSD = ±7.7∘. We determined that both single‐ and multiple‐arc systems tend to tilt a few degrees to the south‐east prior to 23 magnetic local time (MLT) and to the north‐east afterward. This tilt appears to be more prominent at higher latitudes. We compared the auroral arc orientations to the mapping of equatorial contours of constant magnetic field strength into the ionosphere, where we used the T87 and T89 magnetic field models for quiet (Kp = 1,3) conditions for the mappings and to determine the constant equatorial magnetic field strength contours. We found that the MLT trends of the tilts are such that arc alignment appears to follow the constant magnetic field strength contours as projected into the ionosphere. We assert that the systematic dependencies of the orientation of auroral arcs indicate that arc morphology is governed by the large‐scale structure of the magnetosphere as opposed to localized processes within the ionosphere. In addition, we studied the effects of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) on the location in MLT of the reversal of the arc tilts. We found that negative IMF Bxand Byconditions cause the reversal location to shift duskward of 23 MLT. Alternately, a positive IMF Bx, coupled with a negative By, results in a shift in reversal location toward magnetic midnight. This behavior is consistent with that found in studies of the MLT distribution of substorm onsets.

M-I coupling scales and energy dumping

The paper reviews three magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling scales characterizing (1) inverted-V auroral arcs, (2) so-called Alfvenic arcs, and (3) dense plasma clouds artificially injected into the magnetosphere. The three scale-breaking processes are different but follow all from the principle of perfect matching of the wave impedance of the energy and momentum carrier with the effective resistance of the energy dump. As a consequence, wave reflections from the ionosphere are absent or present only in a short initial phase and lead to quasi-stationary wave fields. In inverted-V auroral arcs the energy conversion occurs in the low magnetosphere by postacceleration of the current-carrying hot electrons. For the Alfvenic arc the energy is transferred first to dispersive Alfven waves which are then damped in the topside ionosphere by accelerating electrons along B and ions transversely to B. Barium plasma clouds break into narrow striations mapping to ionospheric scales that experience a strongly reduced Pedersen conductivity and thus achieve the perfect matching. It is also argued that the scale ΣP/K, derived from electrostatic mapping, is not suited to describe M-I coupling.

The quiet evening auroral arc and the structure of the growth phase near‐Earth plasma sheet

AbstractThe plasma pressure and current configuration of the near‐Earth plasma sheet that creates and sustains the quiet evening auroral arc during the growth phase of magnetospheric substorms is investigated. We propose that the quiet evening arc (QEA) connects to the thin near‐Earth current sheet, which forms during the development of the growth phase enhancement of convection. The current sheet's large polarization electric fields are shielded from the ionosphere by an Inverted‐V parallel potential drop, thereby producing the electron precipitation responsible for the arc's luminosity. The QEA is located in the plasma sheet region of maximal radial pressure gradient and, in the east‐west direction, follows the vanishing of the approximately dawn‐dusk‐directed gradient or fold in the plasma pressure. In the evening sector, the boundary between the Region1 and Region 2 current systems occurs where the pressure maximizes (approximately radial gradient of the pressure vanishes) and where the approximately radial gradient of the magnetic flux tube volume also vanishes in an inflection region. The proposed intricate balance of plasma sheet pressure and currents may well be very sensitive to disruption by the arrival of equatorward traveling auroral streamers and their associated earthward traveling dipolarization fronts.

Particle-precipitation fine structure during the development of substorms at high latitudes

The energy of precipitating particles that cause auroras can be characterized by the ratio of different atom and molecule emissions in the upper atmospheric layers. It is known that the spectrum of precipitating electrons becomes harder when substorms develop. The ratio of the I6300 red line to the I5577 green line was used to determine the precipitating-electron spectrum hardness. The I6300/I5577 parameter was used to roughly estimate the electron energy in auroral arcs observed in different zones of the auroral bulge at the bulge poleward edge and within this bulge. The variations in the emission red and green lines in auroral arcs during substorms that occurred in the winter season 2007–2008 and in January 2006 were analyzed based on the zenith photometer and all-sky camera data at the Barentsburg and Longyearbyen (LYR) high-latitude observatories. It has been indicated that the average value of the I6300/I5577 emission ratio for arcs within the auroral bulge is larger than this value at the bulge poleward edge. This means that the highest-energy electron precipitation is observed in arcs at the poleward edge of the substorm auroral bulge.