Short-term dynamics of the high-latitude auroral distribution

Journal Article · Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA094iA06p06969· OSTI ID:6048579

Murphree, J S; Elphinstone, R D; Cogger, L L ^[1]; Wallis, D D ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Calgary, Alberta (Canada)
2. National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)

During two consecutive orbits of the Viking satellite on March 24, 1986, UV observations of the northern hemisphere auroral distribution revealed rapid growth and decay of large-scale polar arcs. Evolution of these features occurred from the nightside auroral distribution (to which they are optically connected) toward the dayside. The connection on the dayside was short-lived ({approx} 2 min) and the arc retreated at similar speeds to its development ({approx} 5 km/s). Time scales for growth (at least to the level of the sensitivity of the instrument) can also be less than 1 min. Examples of arc occurrences during a half-hour time period show that arcs can extend from the nightside to the dayside and disappear and another extended arc can appear at a widely separated position. These types of dynamic polar features appear consistent with the dynamic energization and precipitation of boundary layer electrons at high latitudes.

• OSTI ID: 6048579
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA), Vol. 94:A6; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AURORAE
MORPHOLOGY
DYNAMICS
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
IMAGES
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE
POLAR REGIONS
SATELLITES
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
DISTRIBUTION
EARTH PLANET
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
MECHANICS
PLANETS
RADIATIONS
640201* - Atmospheric Physics- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena