Simultaneous observations of a theta aurora and associated magnetotail plasmas

Technical Report · Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:5027021

Huang, C Y; Craven, J D; Frank, L A

Observations of a transpolar arc and simultaneous measurements of associated plasmas in the magnetotail lobe on March 25, 1982, are presented. The auroral imager on board Dynamics Explorer 1 observes a theta aurora in the northern polar cap for more than 2 hours, between 0502 and 0720 UT. ISEE 1 is located in the southern lobe of the geomagnetic tail at a distance of 22.2 RE during this time. The plasma and particle detectors measure intermittent bursts of particle fluxes between 0530 and 0705 UT. The observations suggest that these particle fluxes represent the high-altitude signature of a theta aurora in the southern polar cap. The relatively dense and energetic plasmas are organized into several filamentary structures. Magnetic mapping between the two polar regions indicates that the theta aurora in the southern hemisphere is a mirror reflection about the noon-midnight meridional plane of the theta aurora in the northern hemisphere.

• Research Organization: Iowa Univ., Iowa City, IA (USA). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
• OSTI ID: 5027021
• Report Number(s): AD-A-213768/5/XAB
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Pub. in Jnl. of Geophysical Research, Vol. 94, No. A8, 10137-10143(1 Aug 1989). Original contains color plates: All DTIC/NTIS reproductions will be in black and white
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
MAGNETOTAIL
PLASMA FILAMENT
POLAR-CAP AURORAE
IMAGES
ALTITUDE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
EXPLORER SATELLITES
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
MAPPING
REFLECTION
AURORAE
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
SATELLITES
640201* - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena