A synoptic investigation of particle precipitation dynamics for 60 substorms in IQSY (1964–1965) and IASY (1969)

Sixty auroral absorption substorms (30 in IQSY and 30 in IASY) have been analysed on the basis of riometer-recordings taken at some 40 stations distributed over auroral, subauroral and polar cap latitudes. Synoptic maps showing isoabsorption curves have been produced every 15 min (sometimes every 5 min) of the 60 substorms; 705 maps altogether.Some of the results of the analysis are as follows.Initiation of a substorm most frequently occurs near midnight but may occur anywhere between early evening and late morning. The time of onset becomes earlier and the latitude of onset moves equatorward as the level of magnetic activity increases.The longitude expansion velocities are contained in the range 0.7–7 km/sec except for a few extreme values which exceed 20 km/sec.The auroral absorption eastward expansion velocity is smaller than the corresponding velocity of the boundary of the region of activation of the visual aurora after break up by a factor $\text{14}\text{?12}$.The expansion velocity corresponds, in general, to drift velocities of electrons of energies in the range 50–300 keV but, for the extreme speeds, electron energies around 1 MeV are needed.Expansion of the absorption in the westward direction was seen in about half of the substorms studied. In about half of these, expansion along the auroral oval could be indentified, but in almost all of these cases some expansion in the auroral zone latitudes was also seen. In about an equal number of events, expansion was confined primarily to the auroral zone.The velocity of the westward expansion was about 1 km/sec along the auroral oval (i.e. approximately equal with the speed of the westward travelling surge) but about 2 km/sec along the auroral zone.The meridional expansion velocities found agree well with those measured for visual aurora (? 1 km/sec).The variability of the behaviour of different substorms is very large. To illuminate this the following may be mentioned, in addition to what has been stated above about the statistics.Although the absorption maximum practically always moves eastward from the initiation region, exceptions have been seen in which the maximum started moving west and in a later phase went eastward.Sometimes the absorption maximum stays in the injection area or very close to it, although in most cases it moves eastward into the dayside. In extreme eases it has been found to move more than 270° in the eastward direction.There are auroral absorption substorms in which injection seems to take place in more than one area simultaneously.The observations cannot all be understood in terms of gradient and curvature drift of electrons from a small area of injection only. A broad intrusion of hot plasma from the tail into the inner magnetosphere seems to be needed.No strong dependence of particle precipitation on the illumination of the upper ionosphere by sunlight was seen. The results do, therefore, not support the hypothesis of Brice and Lucas (1971) that cold plasma density increases, originating in the ionosphere, significantly increase the precipitation rate of energetic trapped particles.     

A new direction finding technique for auroral VLF hiss based on the measurement of time differences of arrival at three spaced observing points

A newly developed direction finding (DF) technique for auroral hiss based on the measurement of time differences of wave arrival was carried out in 1978 at Syowa Station (geomag. lat. -70.4°), Antarctica and its two slave unmanned observing points located at about 20 km distances from Syowa. The auroral hiss signals (0.3–100 kHz) received at the two spaced points were transmitted to Syowa by a wide-band telemeter of 2 GHz. The arrival time difference of auroral hiss between Syowa and each spaced point was automatically determined by cross-correlating the waveforms of the received signals, and then the incident and azimuthal angles were measured with an accuracy of about 10°.It has been found that the new DF technique can determine localized exit regions at the ionospheric level which show rapid temporal movements. A comparison of the DF results with ground-based auroral data has shown that impulsive type auroral hiss with a wide-band frequency range has not emerged from the whole region of a bright aurora but from some localized regions of bright electron auroras at the ionospheric level, and that the arrival directions of auroral hiss change rapidly in accordance with the auroral movements.     

An analysis of the upper atmospheric wind observed by LOGACS

Wind velocities at 140–200 km altitude were observed by a Low-G Accelerometer Calibration System (LOGACS) flown on an Agena satellite during a geomagnetic storm. An interesting wind reversal observed by the satellite at auroral latitudes is satisfactorily explained by the neutral air motion caused by the $\text{E × B}$ drift deduced from the ground-based geomagnetic data recorded at stations near the meridian of the satellite orbit.     

A simultaneous observation of large-scale periodic TIDs in both hemispheres following an onset of auroral disturbances

A study has been undertaken on the position of the auroral sources of large-scale TIDs (LS TIDs) in both hemispheres. A selected case study, herewith presented, refers to an onset of an auroral substorm at the equatorward edges of the southern and northern auroral zones which preceded the occurrence of periodic variations in virtual height (h′F) of the F-region in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres. The variations in h′F had characteristics typical of large-scale TIDs propagating equatorwards with a velocity of about 800 m s⁻¹, and with a constant period of 135 min in both hemispheres. The horizontal wavefront of LS TIDs was observed in mid-latitudes to be in excess of 7000 km. The LS TIDs were found to be in phase at the stations which are equidistant from the auroral sources. From this it was concluded that the periodic LS TIDs were likely to produce a constructive interference effect at the points of their encounter near the equator.It was concluded that the sources of LS TIDs in both hemispheres were elongated along the L-shell with L-value between 4 and 5, and had a large longitudinal extent, exceeding 60°. The source locations were consistent with the positions of the belts of energetic particle precipitations as inferred from the standard riometer and magnetometer data. The large quasi-linear extent of the source is consistent with the wide horizontal wavefronts of LS TIDs as well as with a large distance of their propagation.     

Television imaging of fast auroral waves

Fast auroral waves have been recorded with an Image Intensifier-TV system and a new characteristic of this phenomenon has been revealed, namely, an abrupt transition from wave motion equatorwards to an E to W motion associated with an auroral band. For equatorward motion speeds ranged from 15 to 150 km/sec which is significantly lower than values previously reported. For the E to W motion speeds ranged from 20 to 90 km/sec.     

The features of auroral bulge expansion

The development of the auroral bulge during substorms is studied using all-sky data from the dense net of stations and also riometer data. A few features seem to be essential for the interpretation of the expansive phase mechanism. The first is the existence of low energy electron precipitation (auroral arcs with the lower border height near 140 km) polewards of the expanding bulge, suggesting that the bulge often arises and develops on closed field lines. Secondly only the localized bulges (with dimensions 2° and 40°Λ) are generated by the continuous deformation of the auroral arc. The greater expansions develop mainly at the expense of the new bright arc formations at the front of the expanding auroral bulge. During each new arc formation impulsive acceleration and precipitation of energetic electrons takes place and brief changes of plasma sheet geometry are sometimes observed at 18 R_E in the magnetotail. This apparently shows a re-distribution of plasma sheet current during the substorm expansive phase.     

Fast auroral waves

Fast auroral waves are East-West aligned, arc-like features that have been observed to propagate southward at 50–300 km/sec in the College vicinity after midnight. They occurred only when the preceding daylight hours, and often the evening hours, were magnetically undisturbed, and always after a short-lived (1–2 hr) polar substorm. It is suggested that the waves are the result of hydromagnetic processes occurring near the equatorial plane.     

An auroral infrasonic substorm investigation using Chatanika radar and other geophysical sensors

Characteristics of the supersonic auroral arcs within the 0905 UT 2 April 1973 substorm were determined using data from (1) all-sky cameras; (2), surface magnetometers, (3) multispectral scanning photometers, (4) 30MHz riometers, (5) Chatanika incoherent-scatter radar, (6) Homer auroral radar, and (7) infrasonic microphone arrays at College and Stevens Village in Alaska. These data were analyzed to determine the properties of an auroral electrojet arc that generates auroral infrasonic waves (AIW).

An arc that was show to be the source of an AIW was found to have the following characteristics: (1) a velocity of 500 m/sec traveling from an azimuth of 350°; (2) an intensity in 4278 A of 26 Kr, (3) a maximum electron density of 2.8 × 10⁶ el/cm⁶ at 100km height, (4) an equivalent westward line current of 2.8 × 10⁶ A, (5) orientation of ΔH parallel to the AIW direction of travel and perpendicular to the arc's long axis, (6) a characteristic energy of the primary auroral electron spectrum of 3.0keV, and (7) an energy deposition rate for the auroral pdarticles of 100 erg/cm² sec.     

Hubble observations of Jupiter’s north–south conjugate ultraviolet aurora

Comparisons of the northern and southern far ultraviolet (UV) auroral emissions of Jupiter from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) or any other ultraviolet imager have mostly been made so far on a statistical basis or were not obtained with high sensitivity and resolution. Such observations are important to discriminate between different mechanisms responsible for the electron acceleration of the different components of the aurora such as the satellite footprints, the «main oval» or the polar emissions. The field of view of the ACS and STIS cameras on board HST is not wide enough to provide images of the full jovian disk. We thus compare the morphology of the north and south aurora observed 55 min apart and we point out similarities and differences. On one occasion HST pointed successively the two polar regions and auroral images were seen separated by only 3 min. This makes it possible to compare the emission structure and the emitted FUV power of corresponding regions. We find that most morphological features identified in one hemisphere have a conjugate counterpart in the other hemisphere. However, the power associated with conjugate regions of the main oval, diffuse or discrete equatoward emission observed quasi-simultaneously may be different in the two hemispheres. It is not directly nor inversely proportional to the strength of the B-field as one might expect for diffuse precipitation or field-aligned acceleration with equal ionospheric electron density in both hemispheres. Finally, the lack of symmetry of some polar emissions suggests that some of them could be located on open magnetic field lines.     

Spectral observations of spicules at two heights in the solar chromosphere

An observational program at the Sacramento Peak Observatory in 1965 provided high-dispersion spectra of the solar chromosphere in several spectral regions simultaneously. These regions included various combinations of the spectral lines Hα, Hβ and H?, the D₃-line of Hei, the infrared triplet of Oi, and the H- and K-lines and the infrared triplet of Caii. With the use of an image slicer the observations were made simultaneously at two heights in the solar chromosphere separated by several thousand kilometers. From these data we draw the following conclusions:

1. Emission of different lines arises in the same chromospheric features. The intensity ratio of lines of different elements varies significantly from spicule to spicule. For the H- and K-lines of ionized calcium, this ratio remains constant, independent of wavelength throughout the line, overall intensity, and height in the chromosphere. Two rare-earth lines in the wing of the H-line show no spicular structure at all.
2. The line-of-sight velocities of many features reverse as a function of time, although most spicules show velocities in only one direction. The simultaneous spectra at two heights show most spicules to have the same line-of-sight velocity at both. There may be an additional class of features, mostly rapidly moving, whose members have line-of-sight velocities that increase with height. These features comprise perhaps 10% of the total. Velocity changes occur simultaneously, to within 20 sec, at two heights separated by 1800 km, indicating velocities of propagation of hundreds of km/sec. The velocity field of individual features is often quite complicated; many spectral features are inclined to the direction of dispersion, implying that differential mass motions are present.
3. The existence of anomalously broad H and K profiles is real. Even with high dispersion and the best seeing, such profiles are not resolved into smaller features. The central reversal in K, H and Hα appears to remain unshifted when the wings are displaced in wavelength, indicating that the reversal is non-spicular.

     

An analysis of auroral E region neutral winds based on incoherent scatter radar observations at Chatanika

Auroral E region neutral winds determined from incoherent scatter radar observations at Chatanika, AK, during geomagnetic disturbances (15 May 1974) are compared with detailed theoretical calculations of neutral velocities for these conditions. The theoretical velocities are obtained by numerically solving the ion and neutral momentum equations in the ion drag approximation, including coriolis and viscous forces, using observed electric fields and electron densities. Large vertical gradients are found in the calculated velocities for altitudes below about 130 km. As a consequence of this structure and fluctuations in the electron density profiles, the data analysis procedure of Brekke et al. (1973) for obtaining neutral winds from radar data is found to underestimate the wind speed by up to 40%, but it determines the direction and temporal structure reasonably well. Comparison of observed neutral velocities with calculated values shows that ion drag alone cannot account for the observations. An equation is derived to estimate the pressure gradients required to resolve the discrepancy between calculated and observed neutral winds. Accelerations due to these pressure gradients are of the same order as those due to ion drag, but at least an order of magnitude larger than those due to solar heating. Directions of the horizontal pressure gradients are consistent with expected locations of auroral heating. During geomagnetic disturbances, ion drag and auroral heating both appear to play important roles in the generation and modification of neutral winds.     

Small-scale auroral arc distortions

Small-scale spatially periodic distortions of auroral forms have been studied utilizing low-light level television observations made at various locations in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The most commonly observed features were folds and vortex-like curl formations. The curls, identified here with the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability due to fluid shear, invariably had a counterclockwise rotational shape and motion when viewed in a direction anti-parallel to the Earth's magnetic field. The typical measured wavelength (5 km) and measured growth rate (4.2 sec⁻¹) were used to evaluate the Kelvin-Helmholtz dispersion relation for the apparent shear ω_s = ∂ ν_x/ ∂y (28 sec⁻¹). The apparent horizontal velocities of both folds (0–5 km/sec) and curls (0–22 km/sec) were invariably observed to be counterclockwise with respect to the multiple arc centre when viewed antiparallel to B. Consistent agreement between rotational shape and rotational motion suggests that the apparent growth rate and the apparent horizontal velocities closely approximate the actual values. If the shear results from E×B drifts in a space charge field, the calculated value for ω_s, implies an unneutralized electron density 0–1 cm⁻³ and a ΔE across the arc element 500mV/m. The velocity measurements indicate that the ΔE values for individual elements can combine to produce transient electric fields at the edges of multiple arcs as high as 1000 mV/m.     

The auroral oval during the substorm development

The direction of motion of the auroral forms in several sectors of the auroral oval during substorms is studied. The creation phase is characterized by the equatorward displacement of the luminous region in evening (15–21 LT) and in day (09–15 LT) hours, while individual forms in the luminous region drift mainly poleward with a mean velocity of 230 m/sec in day hours and equatorward with the mean velocity of 230 m/sec in evening hours. The equatorial shift of the luminous region correlates well with the B_Z-component of the interplanetary magnetic field. The onset of the displacement coincides with the southward B_Z-rotation and is accompanied by auroral intensity increase for about 10–20 min.During the expansive and recovery phases the day auroras drift poleward with mean velocities of 330 and 300 m/sec, respectively. In the evening sector the individual auroral forms drift both poleward and equatorward during the expansive phase and drift mainly towards the pole during the recovery phase with a mean velocity of 200 m/sec. In the morning sector characteristics of the motion of the individual auroral forms are more complicated than in the other sectors. The well defined shifts of the luminous region are not discovered. The possible relation between the motions of individual auroral forms with the magnetosphere convection is discussed.     

Hα coronagraph observations of a flare spray,March 1, 1969

An H solar prominence with the characteristics of a spray was ejected in association with a bright limb flare. Knots of material were observed to a distance of more than one solar radius above the west limb of the Sun. The optical event was followed by 80 MHz emission from a type IV source which was observed moving out through several solar radii.Coronagraph observations have been used to determine the trajectories and velocities of the knots in directions perpendicular to the line of sight. After some early deceleration velocities increase to 300–500 km/sec and slowly decline with variations depending on the initial direction of outflow. We suggest that the magnetic field over the spot group is deformed by the energy of the mass motions of material fragments, some of which then continue to move outward from the Sun.     

Center limb observations of inhomogeneities in the solar atmosphere

High resolution Ca II K-line spectra obtained at Kitt Peak National Observatory in September 1970 at a dispersion of 20 mm/Å and a spatial resolution approaching 1 arc sec are described.We first investigate the claim made by Zirin, Pasachoff and others that, at high spatial resolution, the K₂ emission occurs either in the red wing or the blue but not both. In fact, it is shown that although some spectra exhibit predominantly singly-peaked emission features, other spectra, at equally high spatial resolution, show mainly doubly-peaked structures. We suggest that both types of spectra may be regarded as normal.Secondly, time series studies reveal at least two cases in which features exhibiting single emission peaks in either the red or the blue wings evolve into doubly-peaked structures in a time scale of 15sec.Finally, two features on the slit are observed to separate in a manner which implies velocities of order 50 km/sec. Other alternative explanations of the phenomena are discussed but are found to be even more implausible than velocities of this magnitude. Nevertheless, we urge the need for independent confirmation of this result.The implications of these observations for inhomogeneous models for the formation of the Caii K-line are discussed.Operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under contract with the National Science Foundation.     

Farmington Meteorite: A fragment of an Apollo asteriod?

We have attempted to reconstruct the orbit of the Farmington L5 chondrite which fell in Kansas in 1890. Because its radiation age is uniquely short (25 000 years), its orbit should still closely resemble that of its parent body. A search of 280 contemporary newspapers and other sources turned up more than 60 useable eyewitness reports from 32 localities, which led to the following estimate of the apparent radiant: height 60°, azimuth 20°, with an uncertainty of about 10°. Orbital elements were determined for this radiant for four plausible preatmospheric velocities: 13, 16, 19, and 22 km/sec. The results show quite definitely that Farmington had a small orbit of low inclination: semimajor axis 1–1.9 AU, perihelion ? 0.4 AU, aphelion ? 3.0 AU, inclination ? 16°. Because of the short radiation age, the parent body of Farmington must already have been in an Earth-crossing orbit when the meteorite was ejected from it by an impact. Of the 11 known Earth-crossing asteroids with encounter velocities below 22 km/sec, 1862 Apollo, Hermes, and 1865 Cerberus are passable matches, while 1620 Geographos and 1685 Toro are more marginal possibilities. Apparently Earth-crossing asteroids are the immediate parent bodies of at least some meteorites. Their ultimate source must be the ultimate source of most stony meteorites.     

Eddy mixing and circulation at ionospheric levels

The rates of heat input into the mesosphere and lower thermosphere are calculated and compared with the heat losses. The worldwide average eddy diffusion coefficient required to maintain continuity in the heat budget is calculated and found to vary from about 10⁷ cm²/sec at 120 km down to about 10⁵ cm²/sec at 60 km. From the global asymmetry in heating at the solstice, it is concluded that a systematic pattern of vertical velocities prevails ranging from less than 1 cm/sec in the mesosphere up to 10 cm/sec near 120 km, upward over the summer polar region and downward over the winter polar region. This can be balanced by a wind system towards the winter polar region with velocities near 1 m/sec at 60 km increasing to 30 m/sec at 120 km. Such a wind system provides an explanation for the helium bulge in the upper thermosphere over the winter polar region.     

The longitudinal phase variation of mid-latitude Pc3-4 micropulsations

The longitudinal phase variation of Pc3-4 micropulsations has been investigated using data from three stations at geomagnetic latitude ～54°, in the British Isles. With one exception, the events analysed showed a phase change of ? 10° per degree of longitude. Apparent longitudinal phase velocities were in the approximate range 250–350 km/sec with a general tendency to decrease with increasing period. In most cases the Western station was leading in phase and there was no obvious diurnal pattern. The significance of these results to theoretical work is discussed.     

VLF hiss,visual aurora and the geomagnetic activity

Observations and analyses of hiss events, recorded at College (dp. lat. 64.62°N) and Bar 1 (dp. lat. 70.20°N) during periods of varying auroral and geomagnetic activity, reveal three different types of events. These are (1) auroral substorm events with associated hiss bursts during disturbed period, (2) quiet-time hiss events accompanying stationary quiet auroral arcs and (3) hissless events at times of auroral and magnetic activity. Quiet-time observations seem to suggest that the substorm activity is not a necessary requirement for generating wideband hiss. On the other hand, examples of auroral and magnetic activity with complete absence of VLF hiss indicate that the ground reception of VLF/ELF natural emissions is largely controlled by propagation conditions in the ionosphere. There is either little or no correlation found between hiss observations at the two stations separated by about 600 km.     

Plasma sheet particle precipitation: A kinetic model

Ionospheric and plasma sheet particle densities, fluxes and bulk velocities along an auroral magnetic field line have been calculated for an ion-exosphere model. It is shown that such a collisionless model accounts for many features observed above the auroral regions. Except for very strong plasma sheet electron precipitation, no large potential difference is needed along the magnetic field lines to account for the usual proton and electron fluxes, their pitch angle distributions, and auroral field aligned currents.