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

Technical Report · Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 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

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