Formation and eruption of Sun-aligned arcs at the polar cap-auroral oval boundary

G. A Berg; M. C Kelley; M Mendillo; R Doe; J Vickrey; C Kletzing; F Primdahl; K. D Baker

doi:10.1029/94JA01343

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Formation and eruption of Sun-aligned arcs at the polar cap-auroral oval boundary

Journal article

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Formation and eruption of Sun-aligned arcs at the polar cap-auroral oval boundary

G. A Berg, M. C Kelley, M Mendillo, R Doe, J Vickrey, C Kletzing, F Primdahl and K. D Baker

Journal of geophysical research, Vol.99(A9), pp.17577-17589

1994

DOI: 10.1029/94JA01343

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Abstract

This paper reports on results from a study of the poleward edge of the auroral oval in the morning sector using a comprehensive blend of in situ and ground-based measurements. Three rockets, equipped to measure electric and magnetic fields, energetic particles, and plasma density flew into an auroral display whose dynamical features were recorded with a digital image intensified all-sky camera as well as with an incoherent scatter radar. In addition, a number of DMSP satellite measurements bracketed the launch time. Evidence is presented here that in a condition of declining magnetic activity Sun-aligned arcs are injected into the polar cap at velocities ∼7 km/s from locations of periodic brightening along the morningside of the auroral oval. The multipoint in situ measurements allow some separation of temporal and spatial effects and strongly suggest a poleward contraction of the convection pattern of about 0.25° INVL in 70 s. The most equatorward of the two brightest arcs studied erupted into a region which already was characterized by strong sunward convection. The most poleward, however, pushed into a region that had been convecting in an antisunward direction at velocities exceeding 1 km/s less than 2 min earlier, and it is likely that sunward convection subsequently pertained poleward of that arc as well. We believe that these events mark the reconfiguration of the magnetosphere into a system characterized by a smaller polar cap.

Airglow. Aurora

Earth, ocean, space

Exact sciences and technology

External geophysics

Physics of the high neutral atmosphere

Details

Title: Subtitle: Formation and eruption of Sun-aligned arcs at the polar cap-auroral oval boundary
Creators: G. A Berg - Utah State University
M. C Kelley - Cornell University
M Mendillo - Boston University
R Doe - SRI International
J Vickrey - SRI International
C Kletzing - University of New Hampshire
F Primdahl - Utah State University
K. D Baker - Utah State University
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of geophysical research, Vol.99(A9), pp.17577-17589
DOI: 10.1029/94JA01343
ISSN: 0148-0227
eISSN: 2156-2202
Publisher: American Geophysical Union
Language: English
Date published: 1994
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984200032702771

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