| 1. |
- Dahlgren, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
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Coexisting structures fromhigh- and low-energy precipitation in fine-scale aurora
- 2015
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 42:5, s. 1290-1296
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High-resolution multimonochromatic measurements of auroral emissions have revealed the first optical evidence of coexisting small-scale auroral features resulting from separate high- and low-energy populations of precipitating electrons on the same field line. The features exhibit completely separate motion and morphology. From emission ratios and ion chemistry modeling, the average energy and energy flux of the precipitation is estimated. The high-energy precipitation is found to form large pulsating patches of 0.1Hz with a 3Hz modulation, and nonpulsating coexisting discrete auroral filaments. The low-energy precipitation is observed simultaneously on the same field line as discrete filaments with no pulsation. The simultaneous structures do not interact, and they drift with different speeds in different directions. We suggest that the high- and low-energy electron populations are accelerated by separate mechanisms, at different distances from Earth. The small-scale structures could be caused by local instabilities above the ionosphere.
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| 2. |
- Dahlgren, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
-
Electrodynamics and energy characteristics of aurora at high resolution by optical methods
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 121:6, s. 5966-5974
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Technological advances leading to improved sensitivity of optical detectors have revealed that aurora contains a richness of dynamic and thin filamentary structures, but the source of the structured emissions is not fully understood. In addition, high-resolution radar data have indicated that thin auroral arcs can be correlated with highly varying and large electric fields, but the detailed picture of the electrodynamics of auroral filaments is yet incomplete. The Auroral Structure and Kinetics (ASK) instrument is a state-of-the-art ground-based instrument designed to investigate these smallest auroral features at very high spatial and temporal resolution, by using three electron multiplying CCDs in parallel for three different narrow spectral regions. ASK is specifically designed to utilize a new optical technique to determine the ionospheric electric fields. By imaging the long-lived O+ line at 732 nm, the plasma flow in the region can be traced, and since the plasma motion is controlled by the electric field, the field strength and direction can be estimated at unprecedented resolution. The method is a powerful tool to investigate the detailed electrodynamics and current systems around the thin auroral filaments. The two other ASK cameras provide information on the precipitation by imaging prompt emissions, and the emission brightness ratio of the two emissions, together with ion chemistry modeling, is used to give information on the energy and energy flux of the precipitating electrons. In this paper, we discuss these measuring techniques and give a few examples of how they are used to reveal the nature and source of fine-scale structuring in the aurora.
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