Coordinated ground and space measurements of auroral surge over South Pole. Technical report

Technical Report · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:7149690

Rosenberg, T J; Detrick, D L; Mizera, P F; Gorney, D J; Berkey, F T

Coincident ground-based and satellite observations are presented of a premidnight auroral surge over Amundsen-Scott South Pole station. The set of near-simultaneous measurements provides an excellent opportunity to gain a more-quantitative understanding of the nature of premidnight substorm activity at high geomagnetic latitudes. The surge produced a rapid onset of cosmic radio noise absorption at the station. On the polar-orbiting DMSP-F6 spacecraft, intense x-ray emissions with E > 2-keV energy were imaged 1 to 2 deg magnetically equatorward of the South Pole approximately 1 min prior to the peak of the absorption event. The precipitating electron spectrum determined from the x-ray measurements could be characterized by an e-folding energy of approx. 11 keV and is found to be adequate to account for the cosmic noise absorption and maximum auroral luminosity recorded at South Pole. Photometer, all-sky camera, riometer, and magnetometer data are used to estimate the velocity of motion and spatial extent of the auroral precipitation and the ionospheric currents associated with the surge.

• Research Organization: Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA (USA). Space Sciences Lab.
• OSTI ID: 7149690
• Report Number(s): AD-A-191164/3/XAB; TR-0086A(2940-06)-5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
AURORAE
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
CURRENTS
DISASTERS
DOCUMENT TYPES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
EMISSION
IONOSPHERE
LUMINOSITY
MAGNETIC STORMS
MAGNETOMETERS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MOTION
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHOTOMETERS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
POLAR REGIONS
POLAR-CAP AURORAE
PROGRESS REPORT
RIOMETERS
STORMS
SURGES
VELOCITY