Journal article
Cassini nightside observations of the oscillatory motion of Saturn's northern auroral oval
Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.119(5), pp.3528-3543
05/2014
DOI: 10.1002/2013JA019527
Abstract
In recent years we have benefitted greatly from the first in-orbit multi-wavelength images of Saturn's polar atmosphere from the Cassini spacecraft. Specifically, images obtained from the Cassini UltraViolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) provide an excellent view of the planet's auroral emissions, which in turn give an account of the large-scale magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and dynamics within the system. However, obtaining near-simultaneous views of the auroral regions with in situ measurements of magnetic field and plasma populations at high latitudes is more difficult to routinely achieve. Here we present an unusual case, during Revolution 99 in January 2009, where UVIS observes the entire northern UV auroral oval during a 2h interval while Cassini traverses the magnetic flux tubes connecting to the auroral regions near 21 LT, sampling the related magnetic field, particle, and radio and plasma wave signatures. The motion of the auroral oval evident from the UVIS images requires a careful interpretation of the associated latitudinally oscillating magnetic field and auroral field-aligned current signatures, whereas previous interpretations have assumed a static current system. Concurrent observations of the auroral hiss (typically generated in regions of downward directed field-aligned current) support this revised interpretation of an oscillating current system. The nature of the motion of the auroral oval evident in the UVIS image sequence, and the simultaneous measured motion of the field-aligned currents (and related plasma boundary) in this interval, is shown to be related to the northern hemisphere magnetosphere oscillation phase. This is in agreement with previous observations of the auroral oval oscillatory motion.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Cassini nightside observations of the oscillatory motion of Saturn's northern auroral oval
- Creators
- E. J. Bunce - University of LeicesterD. C. Grodent - University of LiègeS. L. Jinks - University of LeicesterD. J. Andrews - Swedish Institute of Space PhysicsS. V. Badman - Lancaster UniversityA. J. Coates - University College LondonS. W. H. Cowley - University of LeicesterM. K. Dougherty - Imperial College LondonW. S. Kurth - University of IowaD. G. Mitchell - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryG. Provan - University of Leicester
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.119(5), pp.3528-3543
- DOI
- 10.1002/2013JA019527
- ISSN
- 2169-9380
- eISSN
- 2169-9402
- Publisher
- Amer Geophysical Union
- Number of pages
- 16
- Grant note
- PRODEX Program ST/K001000/1 / STFC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) NAS5-97271 / NASA Office of Space Science; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) ST/K000977/1; ST/K001051/1; ST/K001000/1 / STFC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) ST/M003094/1; ST/I002642/1; PP/D00084X/1; ST/J00460X/1 / UK Space Agency Royal Astronomical Society Fellowship ST/L001683/1; ST/K000977/1; ST/K001051/1; ST/K001000/1 / Science and Technology Facilities Council; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Philip Leverhulme Award; Leverhulme Trust STFC PhD Studentship; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) 1415150 / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/2014
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984455547702771
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