Behavior of auroral zone total electron content during substorms

Technical Report · Fri Sep 03 04:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:7317145

Mikkelsen, I S; Damgaard, K

The auroral zone total electron content (TEC) as computed from the ATS-3 Faraday-rotation shows systematic changes during magnetic activity. These changes depend upon local time, season, sunspot-cycle and the prehistory of the magnetic activity. During summer and equinox the daytime TEC both shows a positive and negative phase, which probably are related to the prehistory of the magnetic activity. During winter the daytime TEC is dominated by enhancements as responses to the substorms. The magnitude of these enhancements is determined by the activity prior to sunrise. Thus, if the activity is low prior to sunrise, the substorms during the subsequent day cause the TEC to blow up. In contract, if the pre-sunrise activity is high, the daytime TEC is similar to the quiet time level. In the late afternoon the TEC is depleted at all seasons as a response to the substorms. In the night enhancements are observed due to the precipitation of substorm-injected electrons. These enhancements are very large during winter. During summer other factors cause a depletion of TEC. At sunspot maximum the net result is a depletion, and at sunspot minimum, an enhancement. (auth)

• Research Organization: Danish Meteorological Inst., Copenhagen
• OSTI ID: 7317145
• Report Number(s): AD-A-031314
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AURORAL ZONES
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
DAILY VARIATIONS
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
FARADAY EFFECT
MAGNETIC BAYS
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SOLAR CYCLE
VARIATIONS