| 1. |
- Marklund, Göran T., et al.
(författare)
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Altitude Distribution of the Auroral Acceleration Potential Determined from Cluster Satellite Data at Different Heights
- 2011
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Ingår i: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 106:5, s. 055002-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aurora, commonly seen in the polar sky, is a ubiquitous phenomenon occurring on Earth and other solar system planets. The colorful emissions are caused by electron beams hitting the upper atmosphere, after being accelerated by quasistatic electric fields at 1-2 RE altitudes, or by wave electric fields. Although aurora was studied by many past satellite missions, Cluster is the first to explore the auroral acceleration region with multiprobes. Here, Cluster data are used to determine the acceleration potential above the aurora and to address its stability in space and time. The derived potential comprises two upper, broad U-shaped potentials and a narrower S-shaped potential below, and is stable on a 5 min time scale. The scale size of the electric field relative to that of the current is shown to depend strongly on altitude within the acceleration region. To reveal these features was possible only by combining data from the two satellites.
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| 2. |
- Marklund, Göran T., et al.
(författare)
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Evolution in space and time of the quasi-static acceleration potential of inverted-V aurora and its interaction with Alfvenic boundary processes
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 116, s. A00K13-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Results are presented from Cluster crossings of the acceleration region of two inverted-V auroras located in the poleward part of an extensive substorm bulge. The particle and field data are used to infer the acceleration potentials of the arcs and their distribution in altitude and latitude. The C1 data are consistent with a symmetric potential pattern, composed of two negative U potentials and one positive U potential in between, and the C3 and C4 data are consistent with an asymmetric pattern, where the dominating potential structure extends deep into the polar cap boundary (PCB) region. The two patterns may either correspond to different stages of evolution of the same double arc system or represent two longitudinally separated double arc systems. For all spacecraft, the potential well of the poleward arc extends into the PCB region, whereas the density cavity does not but remains confined to R1. This suggests that the Alfvenic activity observed within the PCB region prevents the cavity formation, consistent with the associated FACs being roughly balanced over this region. The results show that Alfvenic and quasi-static acceleration operates jointly in the PCB region, varying from being about equally important (on C1) to being predominantly quasi-static (on C3/C4). The presence (absence) of an upward electron beam, associated with a positive potential structure and a downward current, observed by C1 (C4/C3) is expected from its short life time, shorter than the time lag between the Cluster spacecraft. The evolution involves both a broadening and a density reduction of the associated downward current sheet to below the critical current density above which parallel electric fields will form. The deepest potential well of 13 kV observed by C4 was located in Region 1, adjacent to the PCB region and coinciding with the deepest density cavity, with a minimum density of 0.1 cm(-3). The interface between Region 1 and the PCB region, coinciding with the steep density gradient, appears to be the leading edge of the cavity.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Sadeghi, Soheil, et al.
(författare)
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Spatiotemporal features of the auroral acceleration region as observed by Cluster
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 116:12, s. A00K19-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A pair of negative electric potential structures associated with inverted-V aurora is investigated using electric and magnetic field, ion and electron data from the Cluster spacecraft, crossing the auroral acceleration region (AAR) at different altitudes above the Northern hemisphere midnight auroral oval. The spatial and temporal development of the acceleration structures is studied, given the magnetic conjunction opportunity and the one minute difference between the Cluster spacecraft crossings. The configuration allowed for estimation of characteristic times of development for the two structures and of the parallel electric field and potential drop for the more stable one. The first potential structure had a width of similar to 80 km (projected to the ionosphere) and was relatively short-lived, developing in less than 40 s and decaying in one minute. The parallel potential drop increased between altitudes of 1.13 R(E) and 1.3 R(E), whereas the acceleration potential above 1.3 R(E) remained almost unchanged during that time. This intensification occurred mainly after the time when the associated upward current had reached its maximum value. The second structure had a width of similar to 50 km and was subject to an increase by a factor of 3 of the parallel potential drop below 1.3 R(E), during about 40 s, after which it remained rather stable for one minute or more. Similarly here, the acceleration potential above 1.3 R(E) remained roughly unchanged. For the more stable second structure, an average parallel electric field between 1.13 and 1.3 R(E) could be estimated (similar to 0.56 mV/m). The conductance along the flux tube was also stable for one minute or more.
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