Correlated observations of two auroral substorms from an aircraft and from a Vela satellite

Journal Article · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA081i016p02709· OSTI ID:7356374

Wolcott, J H; Pongratz, M B; Hones, Jr, E W; Peterson, R W

A jet aircraft, flying from Goose Bay, Labrador, to Fairbanks, Alaska, made auroral observations at nearly constant magnetic local time (approx.2100 MLT) in the auroral zone while a Vela satellite passed through the plasma sheet at rapprox. =18R/subE/ at nearly the same magnetic local time. Comparison of data from the two locations provide further confirmation of the 'poleward leap' of the auroral electrojet which occurs in a late phase of an auroral substorm and is associated with a rapid tailward motion of an X-type neutral line in the magnetotail. The poleward leap is a a distinctive feature of the substorm evolution and is not simply the superposition of a new substorm on the recovery phase of a preceding substorm. It probably marks the sudden transition of the magnetotail from one quasi-stable configuration to another more stable one. Onset of a substorm expansive phase brings about a change of tail magnetic field from a configuration that is extremely tailike, with field lines from lambda/subm/approximately-less-than66degree stretching to the Vela orbit, to one that is much less taillike, with field lines from lambdam/sub approximately-greater-than/70degree not stretching as far as the Vela orbit. (AIP)

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, University of California, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
• OSTI ID: 7356374
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 81:16; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640201* -- Atmospheric Physics-- Auroral
Ionospheric
& Magetospheric Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
AERIAL MONITORING
AURORAL ZONES
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTROJETS
MAGNETIC BAYS
MAGNETOTAIL
MONITORING
PLASMA SHEET
SATELLITES