Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmsm14b..02b&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #SM14B-02
Physics
[2704] Magnetospheric Physics / Auroral Phenomena, [2716] Magnetospheric Physics / Energetic Particles: Precipitating, [2772] Magnetospheric Physics / Plasma Waves And Instabilities, [2790] Magnetospheric Physics / Substorms
Scientific paper
Pulsating aurora (PA), a spectacular emission that appears as blinking of upper atmospheric optical emissions in the polar region, is known to be excited by modulated, downward-streaming electrons. In spite of its distinctive features, the identification of the driver of the electron precipitation has been a long-standing problem. Using coordinated satellite and ground-based all-sky imager observations from the THEMIS mission, we provide direct evidence that a naturally-occurring electromagnetic wave, lower band chorus, can drive pulsating aurora. Almost one-to-one correlation between chorus amplitude observed on THEMIS and pulsating aurora luminosity in the ionosphere was obtained over only a single auroral patch and the correlation coefficient outside this area diminishes quickly with increasing distance, demonstrating a clear link between the two phenomena. Magnetic field line mapping has been a problematic issue in magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling studies. However, PA observations such as these shown in the present study provide a unique opportunity to identify the footprint of the magnetic field line threading a given spacecraft to a precision within an auroral patch size (<~100 km) and possibly even down to a few pixels (~10 km). Because the waves at a given equatorial location in space correlate with a single pulsating auroral patch in the upper atmosphere, our findings can also be used to trace the magnetic field line with much higher accuracy than previous magnetic field models.
Angelopoulos Vassilis
Auster H.
Bonnell J. W.
Bortnik Jacob
Cully C. M.
No associations
LandOfFree
Identifying the Driver of Pulsating Aurora using THEMIS 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 Identifying the Driver of Pulsating Aurora using THEMIS, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Identifying the Driver of Pulsating Aurora using THEMIS will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1467810