The current-voltage relationship in auroral current sheets

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA092iA01p00187· OSTI ID:5940166

Weimer, D R ^[1]; Gurnett, D A; Goertz, C K ^[2]; Menietti, J D; Burch, J L ^[3]; Sugiura, M ^[4]

---

1. Regis Coll. Research Center, Weston, MA (United States)
2. Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City (United States)
3. Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (United States)
4. Kyoto Univ. (Japan)

The current-voltage relation within narrow auroral current sheets is examined through the use of high-resolution data from the high-altitude Dynamics Explorer 1 satellite. The north-south perpendicular electric field and the east-west magnetic field are shown for three cases in which there are large amplitude, oppositely directed paired electric fields which are confined to a region less than 20 km wide. The magnetic field variations are found to be proportional to the second integral of the high-altitude perpendicular electric field. It is shown that at the small-scale limit, this relationship between {Delta}B and E is consistent with a linear Ohm's law relationship between the current density and the parallel potential drop along the magnetic field line. This linear relationship had previously been verified for large-scale auroral formations greater than 20 km wide at the ionosphere. The evidence shown here extends the knowledge down to the scale size of discrete auroral arcs.

• OSTI ID: 5940166
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States) Vol. 92:A1; ISSN 0148-0227; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661320* -- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AURORAE
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
CURRENT DENSITY
CURRENTS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
EXPLORER SATELLITES
IONOSPHERE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
OHM LAW
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
SATELLITES
SHOCK WAVES
VARIATIONS