Cluster Observations of High-Altitude Controllers and Consequences of Auroral Acceleration Region Formation

Details Cluster Observations of High-Altitude Controllers and Consequences of Auroral Acceleration Region Formation Cluster Observations of High-Altitude Controllers and Consequences of Auroral Acceleration Region Formation

May 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007agusmsm33a..07h&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2007, abstract #SM33A-07

Physics

2431 Ionosphere/Magnetosphere Interactions (2736), 2451 Particle Acceleration, 2704 Auroral Phenomena (2407), 2721 Field-Aligned Currents And Current Systems (2409)

Scientific paper

The auroral acceleration region is an integral part of the magnetosphere-ionosphere electrodynamic system, and plays a key role in the transport of energy and particles between space and Earth. Processes occurring therein have received considerable attention over the past few decades, however much of this attention was based on a quasistatic interpretation of the data. To date, very little is known in-situ about the time development of the plasma and fields within and above the auroral acceleration region, which we address here. We present detailed plasma and fields measured by Cluster at high-altitude (> 3 RE) within and above examples of co-evolving upward and downward auroral acceleration systems, occurring during differing magnetospheric conditions. In particular, we highlight the developmental sequence of auroral potentials and reconfigurations of Earth's magnetotail topology, as well as specific orderings for the growth of associated currents, electric fields, density cavities, and plasma constituents that transpire within these systems, with the aim of identifying dominant controlling factors, and assessing consequences. Preliminary results indicate the importance of the temperature of injected electrons in controlling the development of acceleration potentials, with density cavitation being a consequence of an erosion (or acceleration) of cold dense plasma, as opposed to variations in the source electron density. Comparisons with Images from Polar-UVI and IMAGE data show that the developing arc systems presented here lead to localized auroral intensifications, which may or may not have periodic occurrences, with scales and motion that are consistent with these high-altitude measurements.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Cluster Observations of High-Altitude Controllers and Consequences of Auroral Acceleration Region Formation does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Cluster Observations of High-Altitude Controllers and Consequences of Auroral Acceleration Region Formation, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cluster Observations of High-Altitude Controllers and Consequences of Auroral Acceleration Region Formation will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1039688