Latitudinal motions of the aurora during substorms

Physics

Scientific paper

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Auroras, Dynamics Explorer 1 Satellite, Interplanetary Magnetic Fields, Magnetic Storms, Plasma Sheaths, Satellite Observation, Satellite-Borne Instruments

Scientific paper

Sequences of auroral images obtained with Dynamics Explorer 1 are used to investigate latitudinal motions of the aurora in substorms. Average speeds of poleward motion are about 230 m/s near local midnight for two isolated, small substorms and about 1000 m/s during an intensification within a previously active auroral oval. The speed of poleward expansion measured at about 6-min temporal resolution can differ greatly from the average speed because of the episodic development of substorms. Recovery of the high-latitude boundary of the aurora to presubstorm latitudes is first observed in the postmidnight sector. In the premidnight sector the discrete aurora can become stationary for a period of time or even continue further poleward before a retreat to lower latitudes begins. During the recovery phase, a prominent decrease in luminosities is first observed at intermediate latitudes within the auroral distribution. This region is bounded at higher latitudes by the discrete aurora and at lower latitudes by bright diffuse aurora. Given that magnetic field lines threading these auroral distributions map to the plasma sheet boundary layer and to the central plasma sheet, respectively, magnetic field lines at the intermediate auroral latitudes then map to the plasma sheet at distances of more than about 22 earth radii.

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