| 1. |
- Mella, M. R., et al.
(författare)
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Sounding rocket study of two sequential auroral poleward boundary intensifications
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 116, s. A00K18-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Cascades-2 sounding rocket was launched on 20 March 2009 at 11: 04: 00 UT from the Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska, and flew across a series of poleward boundary intensifications (PBIs). The rocket initially crosses a diffuse arc, then crosses the equatorward extent of one PBI (a streamer), and finally crosses the initiation of a separate PBI before entering the polar cap. Each of the crossings have fundamentally different in situ electron energy and pitch angle structure, and different ground optics images of visible aurora. It is found that the diffuse arc has a quasi-static acceleration mechanism, and the intensification at the poleward boundary has an Alfvenic acceleration mechanism. The streamer shows characteristics of both types of acceleration. PFISR data provide ionospheric context for the rocket observations. Three THEMIS satellites in close conjunction with the rocket foot point show earthward flows and slight dipolarizations in the magnetotail associated with the in situ observations of PBI activity. An important goal of the Cascades-2 study is to bring together the different observational communities (rocket, ground cameras, ground radar, satellite) with the same case study. The Cascades-2 experiment is the first sounding rocket observation of a PBI sequence, enabling a detailed investigation of the electron signatures and optical aurora associated with various stages of a PBI sequence as it evolves from an Alfvenic to a more quasi-static structure.
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| 2. |
- Perry, G. W., et al.
(författare)
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Spatiotemporally resolved electrodynamic properties of a Sun-aligned arc over Resolute Bay
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 120:11, s. 9977-9987
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Common volume measurements by the Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar-North (RISR-N) and Optical Mesosphere and Thermosphere Imagers (OMTI) have been used to clarify the electrodynamic structure of a Sun-aligned arc in the polar cap. The plasma parameters of the dusk-to-dawn drifting arc and surrounding ionosphere are extracted using the volumetric imaging capabilities of RISR-N. Multipoint line-of-sight RISR-N measurements of the plasma drift are inverted to construct a time sequence of the electric field and field-aligned current system of the arc. Evidence of dramatic electrodynamic and plasma structuring of the polar cap ionosphere due to the arc is described. One notable feature of the arc is a meridionally extended plasma density depletion on its leading edge, located partially within a downward field-aligned current region. The depletion is determined to be a by-product of enhanced chemical recombination operating on a time scale of 15 min. A similarly shaped electric field structure of over 100 mV/m and line-of-sight ion temperatures nearing 3000 K were collocated with the depletion.
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| 3. |
- Cosgrove, R., et al.
(författare)
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Radar detection of a localized 1.4 Hz pulsation in auroral plasma, simultaneous with pulsating optical emissions, during a substorm
- 2010
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Ingår i: Annales Geophysicae. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 0992-7689 .- 1432-0576. ; 28:10, s. 1961-1979
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many pulsating phenomena are associated with the auroral substorm. It has been considered that some of these phenomena involve kilometer-scale Alfven waves coupling the magnetosphere and ionosphere. Electric field oscillations at the altitude of the ionosphere are a signature of such wave activity that could distinguish it from other sources of auroral particle precipitation, which may be simply tracers of magnetospheric activity. Therefore, a ground based diagnostic of kilometer-scale oscillating electric fields would be a valuable tool in the study of pulsations and the auroral substorm. In this study we attempt to develop such a tool in the Poker Flat incoherent scatter radar (PFISR). The central result is a statistically significant detection of a 1.4 Hz electric field oscillation associated with a similar oscillating optical emission, during the recovery phase of a substorm. The optical emissions also contain a bright, lower frequency (0.2 Hz) pulsation that does not show up in the radar backscatter. The fact that higher frequency oscillations are detected by the radar, whereas the bright, lower frequency optical pulsation is not detected by the radar, serves to strengthen a theoretical argument that the radar is sensitive to oscillating electric fields, but not to oscillating particle precipitation. Although it is difficult to make conclusions as to the physical mechanism, we do not find evidence for a plane-wave-like Alfven wave; the detected structure is evident in only two of five adjacent beams. We emphasize that this is a new application for ISR, and that corroborating results are needed.
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