TRACERS Small‐Scale Field‐Aligned Currents and Intense GPS Amplitude and Phase Scintillations in the Nightside Auroral Region

Yangyang Shen; Robert J Strangeway; Hao Cao; James M Weygand; Jiashu Wu; Anthony McCaffrey; P. T Jayachandran; Daniel Billett; Magnus F Ivarsen; Christopher Watson; Sheng Tian; Marit Oieroset; David Miles

doi:10.1029/2026GL123732

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TRACERS Small‐Scale Field‐Aligned Currents and Intense GPS Amplitude and Phase Scintillations in the Nightside Auroral Region

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TRACERS Small‐Scale Field‐Aligned Currents and Intense GPS Amplitude and Phase Scintillations in the Nightside Auroral Region

Yangyang Shen, Robert J Strangeway, Hao Cao, James M Weygand, Jiashu Wu, Anthony McCaffrey, P. T Jayachandran, Daniel Billett, Magnus F Ivarsen, Christopher Watson, …

Geophysical research letters, Vol.53(14), e2026GL123732

07/28/2026

DOI: 10.1029/2026GL123732

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Abstract

We present conjugate observations of ionospheric small‐scale magnetic perturbations (dB)$(dB)$and GPS scintillations from the Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) and the Canadian High Arctic Ionospheric Network (CHAIN) during a storm‐time substorm on 9 August 2025 in the nightside auroral region. Rotational transverse dB$dB$of up to ∼1,000 nT, associated with filamentary field‐aligned currents (FACs) exceeding 150 μA/m2${\upmu }\mathrm{A}/{\mathrm{m}}^{2}$on spatial scales of ∼1–16 km, were colocated with extreme, localized auroral scintillations (σϕ>${\sigma }_{\phi } > $10 rad, S4≃${S}_{4}\simeq $0.3) and ∼10 dB‐Hz intensity reduction. The most intense scintillations lasted ∼1.5 s and coincided with peaks in auroral electrojets, Pi2 pulsations, and enhanced dTEC (∼12 TECU). The sheet‐like morphology and spatiotemporal correlation with auroral electrojets suggest that Farley–Buneman processes likely play a dominant role in scintillation formation, with additional contributions from FAC‐driven and gradient‐drift instabilities.

Global Positioning Systems

Ionosphere

Orbits

Precipitation

Auroral electrojet

Auroral electrojets

Electrodynamics

Electrojets

GPS

Magnetic fields

Plasma

Receivers & amplifiers

Satellites

Spacecraft

Storms

Tracers

Details

Title: Subtitle: TRACERS Small‐Scale Field‐Aligned Currents and Intense GPS Amplitude and Phase Scintillations in the Nightside Auroral Region
Creators: Yangyang Shen - University of Alberta
Robert J Strangeway - University of California, Los Angeles
Hao Cao - University of California, Los Angeles
James M Weygand - University of California, Los Angeles
Jiashu Wu - University of California, Los Angeles
Anthony McCaffrey - University of New Brunswick
P. T Jayachandran - University of New Brunswick
Daniel Billett - University of Saskatchewan
Magnus F Ivarsen - University of Saskatchewan
Christopher Watson - University of New Brunswick
Sheng Tian - University of California, Los Angeles
Marit Oieroset - University of California, Berkeley
David Miles - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.53(14), e2026GL123732
DOI: 10.1029/2026GL123732
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc; WASHINGTON
Grant note: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada National Aeronautics and Space Administration: 80GSFC18C0008
Y. Shen acknowledges support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant. This research was supported by NASA contract 80GSFC18C0008.
Language: English
Date published: 07/28/2026
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9985183418602771

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