Multisatellite and ground-based observations of transient ULF waves

Journal Article · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA094iA03p02543· OSTI ID:5916152

Potemra, T A; Zanetti, L J; Takahashi, K; Erlandson, R E ^[1]; Luehr, H ^[2]; Marklund, G T; Block, L P; Blomberg, L G ^[3]; Lepping, R P ^[4]

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1. Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (USA)
2. Univ. of Braunschweig (West Germany)
3. Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden)
4. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (USA)

A unique alignment of the Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers (AMPTE) CCE and Viking satellites with respect to the EISCAT Magnetometer Cross has provided an opportunity to study transient ULF pulsations associated with variations in solar wind plasma density observed by the IMP 8 satellite. These observations were acquired during a relatively quiet period on April 24, 1986, during the Polar Region and Outer Magnetosphere International Study (PROMIS) period. An isolated 4-mHz (4-min period) pulsation was detected on the ground which was associated with transverse magnetic field oscillations observed by Viking at a {approximately} 2-R{sub E} altitude above the auroral zone and by CCE at {approximately} 8-R{sub E} in the equatorial plane on nearly the same flux tube. CCE detected a compressional oscillation in the magnetic field with twice the period ({approximately} 10 min) of the transverse waves, and with a waveform nearly identical to an isolated oscillation in the solar wind plasma density measured by IMP 8. The authors conclude that the isolated 10-min oscillation in solar wind plasma density produced magnetic field compression oscillations inside the magnetosphere at the same frequency which also enhanced resonant oscillations at approximately twice the frequency that were already present. The ground magnetic field variations are due to ionospheric Hall currents driven by the electric field of the standing Alfven waves. The time delay between surface and satellite data acquired at different local times supports the conclusion that the periodic solar wind density variation excites a tailward traveling large-scale magnetosphere wave train which excites local field line resonant oscillations. They conclude that these transient magnetic field variations are not associated with magnetic field reconnection or flux transfer events.

• OSTI ID: 5916152
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA) Vol. 94:A3; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALFVEN WAVES
AURORAL ZONES
CURRENTS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH MAGNETOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
GEOMAGNETIC FIELD
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
INTERACTIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC FLUX
PLASMA DENSITY
PULSATIONS
SATELLITES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
VARIATIONS