Temporal evolution of a small auroral substorm as viewed from high altitudes with Dynamics Explorer 1

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5014627

Craven, J D; Frank, L A

A small auroral substorm is investigated with auroral imaging photometers carried on the spacecraft Dynamics Explorer 1. Initial brightening along the auroral oval and the subsequent westward and poleward motions of intense, localized emission regions are associated with auroral surges. Following substorm onset, another region of less intense emissions is observed to develop at lower latitudes and adjacent to the bright region near local midnight. This second region expands towards the east. The bright zone of auroral emissions associated with the surges is interpreted as the signature of electron acceleration along magnetic field lines threading the boundary layer of the plasma sheet in the magnetotail. The more diffuse, less intense region is identified with eastward-drifting electrons injected into the plasma sheet and ring current following substorm onset. No rapid poleward motion of the discrete aurora is detected during substorm recovery.

• Research Organization: Iowa Univ., Iowa City (USA). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
• OSTI ID: 5014627
• Report Number(s): AD-A-157321/1/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
AURORAE
AURORAL OVAL
BRIGHTNESS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EMISSION
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC BAYS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTOMETERS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RECOVERY
SURGES