Location of auroral arcs near substorm onsets

Journal Article · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA083iA07p03342· OSTI ID:6694847

Lui, A T.Y.; Burrows, J R

Two fortuitous polar passes of the Isis 2 satellite are used to examine the location of auroral arcs near substorm onsets in relation to the low-altitude magnetospheric plasma boundaries. In one case the auroral arc was brightening at substorm onset during the pass. In the other case the satellite passed the arc after its brightening but just prior to its poleward expansion. In both cases the arcs are situated near the transition between the central plasma layer and the boundary plasma layer as defined by Winningham et al. (1975). The arc location was also near the poleward termination of the durably trapped energetic electrons (E>40 keV). Thus these observations suggest that the substorm triggering process occurs on closed magnetic field lines well within the outer and inner edges of the plasma sheet.

• Research Organization: Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Canada K1A 0R6
• OSTI ID: 6694847
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 83:A7; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640203* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Magnetospheric Phenomena-- (-1987)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BOUNDARY LAYERS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
LAYERS
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC BAYS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETOSPHERE
PLASMA SHEET
TRAPPED ELECTRONS