Period characteristics of Pc1 pulsations observed at Ottawa

IMS data from Ottawa, Canada are analyzed to study the propagation characteristics of Pc1 pulsations. The majority of pulsations observed possessed periods of 1 second and lasted less than an hour. Shorter-period Pc1s are observed during the summer than during the winter. Periods of pulsations are also shorter during the noon hours than in the morning, and shorter during intervals of high magnetic activity. The diurnal variation of period at Ottawa is different from that at high-latitude stations. For Pc1s the calculated ratio of the spacing period to the pulse period at Ottawa is 86, in good agreement with values found for both higher- and lower-latitude stations. An IPDP (intervals of pulsations of diminishing periods) event occurred on April 19, 1977. The analysis supports the view that the energy dispersion of storm time protons, as well as the earthward movement of the instability region due to increasing magnetic activity, are involved in the production of such events. Earth Physics Branch Contribution No. 1087.