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Current-voltage relationship in auroral current sheets

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6495576
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 are large amplitude, oppositely directed 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 our knowledge down to the scale size of discrete auroral arcs.
Research Organization:
Regis Coll., Weston, MA (USA). Research Center
OSTI ID:
6495576
Report Number(s):
AD-A-178407/3/XAB; SCIENTIFIC-1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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