Coordinated ground and space measurements of an auroral surge over South Pole

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA092iA10p11123· OSTI ID:5513979

Rosenberg, T J; Detrick, D L; Mizera, P F; Gorney, D J; Berkey, F T; Eather, R H; Lanzerotti, L J

Coincident ground-based and satellite observations are presented of a premidnight auroral surge over Amundsen-Scott South Pole station. The set of near-simultaneous measurements provides an excellent opportunity to gain a more quantitative understanding of the nature of premidnight substorm activity at high geomagnetic latitudes. The surge produced a rapid onset of cosmic radio noise absorption at the station. On the polar-orbiting DMSP F6 spacecraft, intense X ray emissions with E>2 keV energy were imaged 1/sup 0/ to 2/sup 0/ magnetically equatorward of South Pole approximately 1 min prior to the peak of the absorption event. The spectrum of precipitating electrons determined from the X ray measurements could be characterized by an e-folding energy of approx.11 keV and is found to be adequate to account for the cosmic noise absorption and maximum auroral luminosity recorded at South Pole. Photometer, all-sky camera, riometer, and magnetometer data are used to estimate the velocity of motion and spatial extent of the auroral precipitation and the ionospheric currents associated with the surge. The electron precipitation region is deduced to have a latitudinal scale size of <100 km and to move poleward with a speed of approx.1--2 km/s coincident with the movement of a westward electrojet.

• Research Organization: Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park
• OSTI ID: 5513979
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 92:A10
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AURORAE
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
ABSORPTION
CURRENT DENSITY
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTROJETS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
IONOSPHERE
POLAR REGIONS
RADIO NOISE
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
CURRENTS
DATA
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH PLANET
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
INFORMATION
NOISE
NUMERICAL DATA
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLANETS
RADIATIONS
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
640201* - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
&amp; Magetospheric Phenomena