Field-Aligned Currents Associated With Pulsating Auroral Patches: Observation With Magneto-Impedance Magnetometer (MIM) Onboard Loss Through Auroral Microburst Pulsations (LAMP) Sounding Rocket

Masahito Nose; Keisuke Hosokawa; Reiko Nomura; Mariko Teramoto; Kazushi Asamura; Yoshizumi Miyoshi; Takefumi Mitani; Takeshi Sakanoi; Taku Namekawa; Takeshi Kawano; Yoshihiro Iwanaga; Shunichi Tatematsu; Masafumi Hirahara; Alexa Halford; Mykhaylo Shumko; Marc R. Lessard; Kristina Lynch; Nicholaos Paschalidis; Allison N. Jaynes; Matthew G. Mcharg

doi:10.1029/2023JA032232

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Field-Aligned Currents Associated With Pulsating Auroral Patches: Observation With Magneto-Impedance Magnetometer (MIM) Onboard Loss Through Auroral Microburst Pulsations (LAMP) Sounding Rocket

Journal article

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Field-Aligned Currents Associated With Pulsating Auroral Patches: Observation With Magneto-Impedance Magnetometer (MIM) Onboard Loss Through Auroral Microburst Pulsations (LAMP) Sounding Rocket

Masahito Nose, Keisuke Hosokawa, Reiko Nomura, Mariko Teramoto, Kazushi Asamura, Yoshizumi Miyoshi, Takefumi Mitani, Takeshi Sakanoi, Taku Namekawa, Takeshi Kawano, …

Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.129(6), e2023JA032232

06/01/2024

DOI: 10.1029/2023JA032232

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Abstract

We made observations of magnetic field variations in association with pulsating auroras with the magneto-impedance sensor magnetometer (MIM) carried by the Loss through Auroral Microburst Pulsations (LAMP) sounding rocket that was launched at 11:27:30 UT on 5 March 2022 from Poker Flat Research Range, Alaska. At an altitude of 200-250 km, MIM detected clear enhancements of the magnetic field by 15-25 nT in both the northward and westward components. From simultaneous observations with the ground all-sky camera, we found that the footprint of LAMP at the 100 km altitude was located near the center of a pulsating auroral patch. The auroral patch had a dimension of similar to 90 km in latitude and similar to 25 km in longitude, and its major axis was inclined toward northwest. These observations were compared with results of a simple model calculation, in which local electron precipitation into the thin-layer ionosphere causes an elliptical auroral patch. The conductivity within the patch is enhanced in the background electric field and as a result, the magnetic field variations are induced around the auroral patch. The model calculation results can explain the MIM observations if the electric field points toward southeast and one of the model parameters is adjusted. We conclude that the pulsating auroral patch in this event was associated with a one-pair field-aligned current that consists of downward (upward) currents at the poleward (equatorward) edge of the patch. This current structure is maintained even if the auroral patch is latitudinally elongated. Magneto-impedance (MI) sensor was carried by a sounding rocket and first applied to magnetic field measurement in space Magnetic field variations were observed when the footprint of the payload was located near the center of an auroral patch The magnetic field variations are thought to be caused by field-aligned currents flowing at the edges of the pulsating auroral patch

Physical Sciences

Astronomy & Astrophysics

Science & Technology

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Title: Subtitle: Field-Aligned Currents Associated With Pulsating Auroral Patches: Observation With Magneto-Impedance Magnetometer (MIM) Onboard Loss Through Auroral Microburst Pulsations (LAMP) Sounding Rocket
Creators: Masahito Nose - Nagoya City University
Keisuke Hosokawa - University of Electro-Communications
Reiko Nomura - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Mariko Teramoto - Kyushu Institute of Technology
Kazushi Asamura - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Yoshizumi Miyoshi - Nagoya University
Takefumi Mitani - Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Takeshi Sakanoi - Tohoku University
Taku Namekawa - National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
Takeshi Kawano - Aichi Steel Corp, Tokai, Japan
Yoshihiro Iwanaga - Aichi Steel Corp, Tokai, Japan
Shunichi Tatematsu - Aichi Steel Corp, Tokai, Japan
Masafumi Hirahara - Nagoya University
Alexa Halford - NASA Goddard Space Flight Ctr, Nagoya, Japan
Mykhaylo Shumko - University of Maryland, College Park
Marc R. Lessard - University of New Hampshire
Kristina Lynch - Dartmouth College
Nicholaos Paschalidis - NASA Goddard Space Flight Ctr, Nagoya, Japan
Allison N. Jaynes - University of Iowa
Matthew G. Mcharg - United States Air Force Academy
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.129(6), e2023JA032232
DOI: 10.1029/2023JA032232
ISSN: 2169-9380
eISSN: 2169-9402
Publisher: Amer Geophysical Union
Number of pages: 16
Grant note: Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR) Murata Science and Education Foundation 21H01147; 17K18804; 22KK0045; 16H06286; JPJSCCB20210003; 21H04518; 22H00116 / Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Yamada Science Foundation 15H05747; 18KK0100; 21H04526; 20H01929; 23H01229; 22KK0046; 22K21345; 22H00173; 21KK0059; 19K03948 / JSPS; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) 80NSSC18K0950; 80NSSC18K0952; 80NSSC18K0965 / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
Language: English
Date published: 06/01/2024
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy; University College Courses
Record Identifier: 9984648360102771

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