Magnetospheric activity and its consequences in the auroral zone

Bursts of energetic electrons in the magnetospheric tail have been compared with the simultaneous radiowave absorption data in the auroral-zone. It was found that the tail bursts could be identified with the auroral-zone activity in a number of instances. It is therefore inferred that the lines of force pertaining to the auroral-zone often reach out more than 15 Earth radii in the night side. It is also suggested that the activity in the tail may be the fundamental cause of auroral phenomena, the day side auroral absorption zone being merely a consequence of the precipitation due to electrons travelling eastward from the tail.