How does the U-shaped potential close above the acceleration region? A study using Polar data

We present a statistical study of Polar electric field observations using auroral oval passes over Scandinavia above the acceleration region. We are especially interested in seeing whether we can find large perpendicular electric fields associated with an upward extended classical U-shaped potential drop for these passes, during which Polar is in the northern hemisphere usually at about 4 R_E altitude. We also use Polar magnetic field data to infer the existence of a field-aligned current (FAC) and conjugate ground-based magnetometers (the IMAGE magnetometer network) to check whether the event is substorm-related or not. We find several events with a FAC but only weak perpendicular electric fields at Polar. In those rare cases where the Polar electric field was large, its direction was mostly found to be incompatible with the U-shaped potential model, or it was associated with disturbed conditions (substorms), where one cannot easily distinguish between inductive and static perpendicular electric fields. We found only two cases which are compatible with the upward extended U-shaped potential picture, and even in those cases the potential value is quite small (1–kV). To check the validity of the analysis method we also estimate the perpendicular electric field on the southern hemisphere, where Polar flies within or below the acceleration region, and we found a large number of inverted-V-type signatures as expected from previous studies. To explain the lack of perpendicular electric fields at high altitudes we suggest an O-shaped potential model instead of the U-shaped one.     

Upward high-energy field-aligned electron beams above the polar edge of auroral oval: observations from the SKA-3 instruments onboard the Auroral Probe (Interball-2)

A new phenomenon was found at the polar edge of the auroral oval in the postmidnight-morning sectors: field-aligned (FA) high-energy upward electron beams in the energy range 20–40 keV at altitudes about 3 R_E, accompanied by bidirectional electron FA beams of keV energy. The beam intensity often reaches more than 0.5 · 10³ electrons/s · sr · keV · cm², and the beams are observed for a relatively long time (3 10²–10³ s), when the satellite at the apogee moves slowly in the ILAT-MLT frame. A qualitative scenario of the acceleration mechanism is proposed, according to which the satellite is within a region of bidirectional acceleration where a stochastic FA acceleration is accomplished by waves with fluctuating FA electric field components in both directions.     

Nonlinear model of short-scale electrodynamics in the auroral ionosphere

The optical detection of auroral subarcs a few tens of m wide as well as the direct observation of shears several m/s per m over km to sub km scales by rocket instrumentation both indicate that violent and highly localized electrodynamics can occur at times in the auroral ionosphere over scales 100 m or less in width. These observations as well as the detection of unstable ion-acoustic waves observed by incoherent radars along the geomagnetic field lines has motivated us to develop a detailed time-dependent two-dimensional model of short-scale auroral electrodynamics that uses current continuity, Ohms law, and 8-moment transport equations for the ions and electrons in the presence of large ambient electric fields to describe wide auroral arcs with sharp edges in response to sharp cut-offs in precipitation (even though it may be possible to describe thin arcs and ultra-thin arcs with our model, we have left such a study for future work). We present the essential elements of this new model and illustrate the models usefulness with a sample run for which the ambient electric field is 100 mV/m away from the arc and for which electron precipitation cuts off over a region 100 m wide. The sample run demonstrates that parallel current densities of the order of several hundred A m^-2 can be triggered in these circumstances, together with shears several m/s per m in magnitude and parallel electric fields of the order of 0.1 mV/m around 130 km altitude. It also illustrates that the local ionospheric properties like densities, temperature and composition can strongly be affected by the violent localized electrodynamics and vice-versa.     

Features of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pc</Emphasis>5 pulsations in the geomagnetic field,auroral luminosity,and Riometer absorption

Simultaneous morning Pc5 pulsations (f ~ 3–5 mHz) in the geomagnetic field, aurora intensities (in the 557.7 and 630.0 nm oxygen emissions and the 471.0 nm nitrogen emission), and riometer absorption, were studied based on the CARISMA, CANMOS, and NORSTAR network data for the event of January 1, 2000. According to the GOES-8 satellite observations, these Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations are observed as incompressible Alfvén waves with toroidal polarization in the magnetosphere. Although the Pc5 pulsation frequencies in auroras, the geomagnetic field, and riometer absorption are close to one another, stable phase relationships are not observed between them. Far from all trains of geomagnetic Pc5 pulsations are accompanied by corresponding auroral pulsations; consequently, geomagnetic pulsations are primary with respect to auroral pulsations. Both geomagnetic and auroral pulsations propagate poleward, and the frequency decreases with increasing geomagnetic latitude. When auroral Pc5 pulsations appear, the ratio of the 557.7/630.0 nm emission intensity sharply increases, which indicates that auroral pulsations result from not simply modulated particle precipitation but also an additional periodic acceleration of auroral electrons by the wave field. A high correlation is not observed between Pc5 pulsations in auroras and the riometer absorption, which indicates that these pulsations have a common source but different generation mechanisms. Auroral luminosity modulation is supposedly related to the interaction between Alfvén waves and the region with the field-aligned potential drop above the auroral ionosphere, and riometer absorption modulation is caused by the scattering of energetic electrons by VLF noise pulsations.     

Localization of the source of precipitating electrons in active arcs during breakup and in pulsating auroras

The sensitive method for detecting and measuring the velocity of a weak luminosity wave, traveling from bottom to top along an arc or isolated auroral beams, has been developed. This wave is caused by dispersion of precipitating electrons over velocities and by a differential atmospheric penetration of different-energy electrons, and the wave velocity gives information about the location of the electron acceleration region in the magnetosphere. The method was tested using different model signals and was used to study pulsating auroras and auroral breakup. A luminosity wave has been detected in pulsating auroras, and it has been estimated that the injection region is located at a distance of 5–6 R _e . The application of the method to intensification of auroras during breakup indicated that such a wave is absent; i.e., breakup electrons being accelerated near the ionosphere at altitudes of 2000–8000 km. It has been assumed that the regions of anomalous resistance, generated in the ionosphere by field-aligned currents during the breakup phase, cause intense local field-aligned electric fields. These fields accelerate thermal electrons and form the auroral breakup pattern.     

Transport of thermal plasma above the auroral ionosphere in the presence of electrostatic ion-cyclotron turbulence

The electron component of intensive electric currents flowing along the geomagnetic field lines excites turbulence in the thermal magnetospheric plasma. The protons are then scattered by the excited electromagnetic waves, and as a result the plasma is stable. As the electron and ion temperatures of the background plasma are approximately equal each other, here electrostatic ion-cyclotron (EIC) turbulence is considered. In the nonisothermal plasma the ion-acoustic turbulence may occur additionally. The anomalous resistivity of the plasma causes large-scale differences of the electrostatic potential along the magnetic field lines. The presence of these differences provides heating and acceleration of the thermal and energetic auroral plasma. The investigation of the energy and momentum balance of the plasma and waves in the turbulent region is performed numerically, taking the magnetospheric convection and thermal conductivity of the plasma into account. As shown for the quasi-steady state, EIC turbulence may provide differences of the electric potential of δ V ≈ 1–10 kV at altitudes of 500 < h < 10 000 km above the Earth’s surface. In the turbulent region, the temperatures of the electrons and protons increase only a few times in comparison with the background values.     

Alfven行波涌浪携带的场向电场──极光粒子加速机制

提出一个剪切Ａｌｆｖｅｎ波加速极光粒子的新模式。频率远小于离子回旋频率的Ａｌｆｖｅｎ波由磁层向电离层传播会演化成孤波，当场向电流超过离子声不稳定性的临界电流时，激发离子声不稳定性，波与粒子的相互作用产生反常阻尼使Ａｌｆｖｅｎ波演化成行波涌浪。它携带一个方向向上的平行电场，加速极光电子形成分立极光。对等离子体密度、电场及其对应的电势进行了数值计算，结果发现满足磁层加速区条件形成Ａｌｆｖｎ行波涌浪，提供足够强的加速粒子的电场。     

Auroral E-region electron density gradients measured with EISCAT

In the theory of E-region plasma instabilities, the ambient electric field and electron density gradient are both included in the same dispersion relation as the key parameters that provide the energy for the generation and growth of electrostatic plasma waves. While there exist numerous measurements of ionospheric electric fields, there are very few measurements and limited knowledge about the ambient electron density gradients, N_e, in the E-region plasma. In this work, we took advantage of the EISCAT CP1 data base and studied statistically the vertical electron density gradient length, L_z = N_e/(dN_e/d_z), at auroral E-region heights during both eastward and westward electrojet conditions and different ambient electric field levels. Overall, the prevailing electron density gradients, with L_z ranging from 4 to 7 km, are found to be located below 100 km, but to move steadily up in altitude as the electric field level increases. The steepest density gradients, with L_z possibly less than 3 km, occur near 110 km mostly in the eastward electrojet during times of strong electric fields. The results and their implications are examined and discussed in the frame of the linear gradient drift instability theory. Finally, it would be interesting to test the implications of the present results with a vertical radar interferometer.     

On the current-voltage relationship in auroral breakups and westwards-travelling surges

Auroral precipitating electrons pass through an acceleration region before entering the atmosphere. Regardless of what produces it, a parallel electric field is assumed to cause the acceleration. It is well known that from kinetic theory an expression for the corresponding upward field-aligned current can be calculated, which under certain assumptions can be linearized to j = KV. The K constant, referred to as the Lyons-Evans-Lundin constant, depends on the source density and thermal energy of the magnetospheric electrons; it is an important parameter in magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling models. However, the K parameter is still rather unknown, and values are found in a wide range of 10^–8–10^–10Sim^–2. In this study, we investigated how the type of auroral structure affects the K values. We look at onset and westwards-travelling surge (WTS) events and make comparisons with earlier results from observations of more stable auroral arcs. A new analysis technique for studying those magnetospheric parameters using ground-based measurements is introduced. Electron density measurements are taken with the EISCAT radar, and through an inversion technique the flux-energy spectra are calculated. Source densities, thermal energies and potential drops are estimated from fittings of accelerated Maxwellian distributions. With this radar technique we have the possibility to study the changes of the mentioned parameters during the development of onsets and the passage of surges over EISCAT. The study indicates that the linearization of the full Knight formulation holds even for the very high potential drops and thermal temperatures found in the dynamic onset and WTS events. The values of K are found to be very low, around 10^–11Sm^–2 in onset cases as well as WTS events. The results may establish a new technique where ionospheric measurements are used for studying the ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling processes.     

惯性区低-β等离子体中的动力学Alfvén孤波

运用双流体MHD方程描述电子和离子的行为, 采用非扰动理论, 把孤子看作经典粒子, 通过推导的赝势(也称Sagdeev势)方程, 结合数值计算来研究惯性区低-β等离子体中动力学Alfvén孤波的特性. 结果表明离子热效应对Alfvén孤波特性的影响不可忽略, 且在惯性区稀疏型孤波和压缩型孤波均存在. 此结论与Freja卫星在极区上空所观测结果吻合很好. Alfvén孤波携带有平行电场, 它对带电粒子的加速有重要作用, 这给极光粒子加速提供了一种可能的物理机制.     

Electron cyclotron waves in the presence of parallel electric fields in the Earth’s auroral plasma

The electron cyclotron waves that originate at low altitudes (<0.5 R_E) and observed by ground facilities have been studied in the presence of a weak parallel electric field in auroral magnetoplasma consisting of trapped energetic auroral electrons and cold background electrons of ionospheric origin. The model distribution for auroral trapped electrons is taken as Maxwellian ring distribution. An expression for the growth rate has been obtained in the presence of parallel electric field assuming that the real frequency in the whistler mode is not affected by the presence of the electric field. The results show that waves grow (or damp) in amplitude for a parallel (or antiparallel) electric field. The influence of the electric field is more pronounced at a shorter wavelength spectrum. An increase in population of energetic electrons increases the growth rate and thus, plays a significant role in the wave excitation process in the auroral regions.     

Nonlinear wave structures in collisional plasma of auroral E-region ionosphere

Studies of the auroral plasma with small-scale inhomogenieties producing the VHF-radar reflections (radar aurora) when observed in conditions of the saturated Farley-Buneman instability within the auroral E region, show strong nonlinear interactions and density fluctuations of 5–15%. Such nonlinearity and high fluctation amplitudes are inconsistent with the limitations of the weak turbulence theory, and thus a theory for arbitrary amplitudes is needed. To this end, a nonlinear theory is described for electrostatic MHD moving plasma structures of arbitrary amplitude for conditions throughout the altitude range of the collisional auroral E region. The equations are derived, from electron and ion motion selfconsistent with the electric field, for the general case of the one-dimensional problem. They take into account nonlinearity, electron and ion inertia, diffusion, deviation from quasi-neutrality, and dynamical ion viscosity. The importance of the ion viscosity for dispersion is stressed, while deviation from the quasi-neutrality can be important only at rather low plasma densities, not typical for the auroral E region. In a small amplitude limit these equations have classical nonlinear solutions of the type of electrostatic shock wave or of knoidal waves. In a particular case these knoidal waves degrade to a dissipative soliton. A two-dimensional case of a quasi-neutral plasma is considered in the plane perpendicular to the magnetic field by way of the Poisson brackets, but neglecting the nonlinearity and ion inertia. It is shown that in these conditions an effective saturation can be achieved at the stationary turbulence level of order of 10%.     

Experimental study of the formation of inverted-V structures and their stratification using AUREOL-3 observations

Multiple inverted-V structures are commonly observed on the same auroral zone crossing by a lowaltitude orbiting satellite. Such structures appear grouped and apparently result from an ionospheric and/or magnetospheric mechanism of stratification. More than two years of AUREOL-3 satellite observations were analyzed to study their properties and their formation in the framework of the ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling model proposed by Tverskoy. This model predicts some natural periodicity in the electrostatic potential profile (and subsequently in the field-aligned current profiles) that could account for oscillations experimentally observed in the auroral zone, such as successive inverted-Vs. Experimental results obtained during quiet or moderately active periods demonstrate that the number of structures observed within a given event is well described by a scaling parameter provided by the hot plasma stratification theory and expressed in terms of the field-aligned current density, the total width of the current band, the plasma sheet ion temperature, and the height-integrated Pedersen conductivity of the ionosphere. The latitudinal width, in the order of 100/200 km at ionospheric altitudes, is relatively independent of the current density, and is determined not only by the existence of a potential difference above the inverted-Vs, but also by basic oscillations of the ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling system predicted by Tverskoy. The large number of cases studied by the AUREOL-3 satellite provides reliable statistical trends which permits the validation of the model and the inference that the multiple structures currently observed can be related directly to oscillations of the magnetospheric potential (or the pressure gradients) on a scale of 1000/2000 km in the near-Earth plasma sheet. These oscillations arise in the Tverskoy model and may naturally result when the initial pressure gradients needed to generate a large-scale field-aligned current have a sufficiently wide equatorial scale, of about 1 R_E or more.     

Interplanetary Shocks, Magnetopause Boundary Layers and Dayside Auroras: The Importance of a Very Small Magnetospheric Region

Dayside near-polar auroral brightenings occur when interplanetary shocks impinge upon the Earth's magnetosphere. The aurora first brightens near local noon and then propagates toward dawn and dusk along the auroral oval. The propagation speed of this wave of auroral light is 10 km s^-1 in the ionosphere. This speed is comparable to the solar wind speed along the outer magnetosphere. The fundamental shock-magnetospheric interaction occurs at the magnetopause and its boundary layer. Several physical mechanisms transferring energy from the solar wind directly to the magnetosphere and from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere are reviewed. The same physical processes can occur at other solar system magnetospheres. We use the Haerendel (1994) formulation to estimate the acceleration of energetic electrons to 50 keV in the Jovian magnetosphere/ionosphere. Auroral brightenings by shocks could be used as technique to discover planets in other stellar systems.     

ULF wave measurements onboard the Interball auroral probe

The IESP experiment implemented onboard the Interball auroral probe measures the six components (3B, 3E) of the waves in the ULF range: 0.1–10 Hz and from time to time 0–30 Hz. Two different kinds of waves have been observed in the auroral region at altitudes between 10 000 and 20 000 km: (1) electrostatic emissions which consist of quasi-monochromatic structures with frequencies above the oxygen gyrofrequency, superimposed on a wide band signal interpreted as a Doppler broadening, (2) electromagnetic wide band spectrum fluctuations. These emissions are interpreted as current-driven electromagnetic or electrostatic ion cyclotron waves. The electromagnetic/electrostatic character is controlled by the plasma parameter _i and by the O⁺ concentration.     

Altitude of the upper boundary of AAR based on observations of ion beams in inverted-V structures: A case study

Outflowing ion beams forming four successive inverted-V structures in the energy-time spectrograms of H+, He+, and O+ were observed at an altitude of 3.4 RE by Cluster satellites travelling above the auroral acceleration region (AAR) in the southern hemisphere on February 14, 2001. Energization by negative U-shaped potential structures in the AAR is believed to be responsible for the formation of these outflowing ion inverted-V structures. Thus, utilizing the different motion properties of the three ion species, the altitude of the upper boundary of the AAR is estimated to be ~11100 km. Moreover, based on multi-satellite observations, each of these U-shaped potential structures involved in this event crosses the latitudinal direction at ~0.4°–1° invariantlatitude (ILAT), moving poleward at an average speed of ~0.2° ILAT per minute, before disappearing at ~71.5° ILAT.     

Alfvén wave coupling in the auroral current circuit

Auroral phenomena are controlled by the geomagnetic field.Since the terrestrial field lines connect the auroral oval to the equatorial region at large distances, the collisionless plasma in this remote space environment can act as a power supply for the high-latitude upper atmosphere where auroral emissions take place. The coupling process is intimately linked to currents which flow across the local magnetic field direction both in the equatorial part and at the atmospheric end of the auroral field lines. These two auroral key regions are connected through currents flowing along the terrestrial field lines, thereby completing the auroral current circuit. Such field-aligned currents are carried by Alfvén waves, that is, magnetohydrodynamic shear waves, which are thus a means to exchange momentum and energybetween rather remote parts of the geomagnetically controlledspace environment. Auroral dynamics is further affected by a third key region in the auroral current circuit, namely the auroral acceleration region, where parallel electric fields accelerate particle to keV energies. This review focuses on key region coupling through Alfvén waves. Continuity requirements for currents and electric fields provide a convenient means to describe the interaction of Alfvén waves with different plasma regimes. Basic coupling aspects can be demonstrated with the help of a simplified model. Inhomogeneities and nonlinear feedback can lead to resonance effects and instabilities.     

Theoretical developments on the causes of ionospheric outflow

It is now well known that there is a substantial outflow of ionospheric plasma from the terrestrial ionosphere at high latitudes. The outflow consists of light thermal ions (H⁺, He⁺) as well as both light and heavy energized ions (H⁺, He⁺, O⁺, N⁺, NO⁺, O₂⁺, N₂⁺). The thermal ion outflows tend to be associated with the classical polar wind, while the energized ions are probably associated with either auroral energization processes or nonclassical polar wind processes. Part of the problem with identifying the exact cause of a given outflow relates to the fact that the ionosphere continuously convects into and out of the various high-latitude regions (sunlight, cusp, polar cap, nocturnal oval) and the time-constant for outflow is comparable to the convection time. Therefore, it is difficult to separate and quantify the possible outflow mechanisms. Some of these mechanisms are as follows. In sunlit regions, the photoelectrons can heat the thermal electrons and the elevated electron temperature acts to increase the polar wind outflow rate. At high altitudes, the escaping photoelectrons can also accelerate the polar wind as they drag the thermal ions with them. In the cusp and auroral oval, the precipitating magnetospheric electrons can heat the thermal electrons in a manner similar to the photoelectrons. Also, energized ions, in the form of beams and conics, can be created in association with field-aligned auroral currents and potential structures. The cusp ion beams and conics that have been convected into the polar cap can destabilize the polar wind when they pass through it at high altitudes, thereby transferring energy to the thermal ions. Additional energization mechanisms in the polar cap include Joule heating, hot magnetospheric electrons and ions, electromagnetic wave turbulence, and centrifugal acceleration.Some of these causes of ionospheric outflow will be briefly reviewed, with the emphasis on the recent simulations of polar wind dynamics in convecting flux tubes of plasma.     

Non-adiabatic motion of charged particles traversing a weak magnetic field: Pitch angle scattering

Summary A charged particle moves with velocityv in a constant non-uniform magnetic fieldH, spiralling with Larmor radiusR. IfR is small compared with the scale lengthL of the field, the magnetic moment associated with the Larmor motion of the particle is nearly constant. Consequently , the (pitch) angle betweenv andH, varies as arcsinH ^1/2. Hence in such adiabatic motion is approximately the same at points on the path whereH has the same value. But the magnetic moment and the pitch angle may differ materially at two such points, each in the region whereR/L is small, if between them the particle traverses a region whereR/L is not small. This region of non-adiabatic motion scatters the pitch angles.Such scattering is investigated for regions of weak field (R large), with and without the presence of a neutral line along whichH=0. Either type of region, it is found, can scatter the pitch angles. This gives support to the theory proposed byAkasofu andChapman to explain why auroral arcs and bands are very thin.The scattering here examined is of interest also in connection with magnetic mirror devices for nuclear energy transformation. It may also have applications to phenomena of solar and stellar atmospheres.     

On the occurrence and characteristics of intense low-altitude electric fields observed by Freja

High-resolution measurements by the double probe electric field instrument on the Freja satellite are presented. The observations show that extremely intense (up to 1 V m⁻¹) and fine-structured (<1 km) electric fields exist at auroral latitudes within the altitude regime explored by Freja (up to 1700 km). The intense field events typically occur within the early morning sector of the auroral oval (01-07 MLT) during times of geomagnetic activity. In contrast to the observations within the auroral acceleration region characterized by intense converging electric fields associated with electron precipitation, upward ion beams and upward field-aligned currents, the intense electric fields observed by Freja are often found to be diverging and located within regions of downward field-aligned currents outside the electron aurora. Moreover, the intense fields are observed in conjunction with precipitating and transversely energized ions of energies 0.5-1 keV and may play an important role in the ion heating. The observations suggest that the intense electric field events are associated with small-scale low-conductivity ionospheric regions void of auroral emissions such as east-west aligned dark filaments or vortex streets of black auroral curls located between or adjacent to auroral arcs within the morningside diffuse auroral region. We suggest that these intense fields also exist at ionospheric altitudes although no such observations have yet been made. This is possible since the height-integrated conductivity associated with the dark filaments may be as low as 0.1 S or less. In addition, Freja electric field data collected outside the auroral region are discussed with particular emphasis on subauroral electric fields which are observed within the 19–01 MLT sector between the equatorward edge of the auroral oval and the inner edge of the ring current.