Saturn's auroral morphology and activity during quiet magnetospheric conditions

Details Saturn's auroral morphology and activity during quiet magnetospheric conditions Saturn's auroral morphology and activity during quiet magnetospheric conditions

Dec 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006jgra..11112210g&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 111, Issue A12, CiteID A12210

Physics

15

Magnetospheric Physics: Auroral Phenomena (2407), Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetosphere/Ionosphere Interactions (2431), Magnetospheric Physics: Planetary Magnetospheres (5443, 5737, 6033), Magnetospheric Physics: Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions, Magnetospheric Physics: Substorms

Scientific paper

We report the results of a coordinated Hubble Space Telescope-Cassini campaign that took place between 26 October and 2 November 2005. During this period, Saturn's magnetosphere was in an expanded state and the solar wind was quiet, as indicated by the location of the magnetopause, in situ particle measurements, weak auroral SKR emission, and the generally low brightness of the aurora. We describe the morphology and dynamics of the aurora during this period in parallel with concurrent Cassini measurements. We show that the aurora exhibits considerable longitudinal structure and time variations over intervals of a few hours, in spite of the absence of observable external triggers and generally low intensity. In particular, enhancements of the dawn-morning oval are seen while no apparent indication of solar wind activity is observed. These features rotate at a speed corresponding to about 65% of the planet's angular velocity. We also describe energetic neutral atom measurements indicating that an ENA acceleration event occurred in the magnetotail on 26 October without any measured signature of solar wind activation. These observations suggest an intrinsically dynamical magnetosphere where injection of hot plasma occasionally takes place in the night or dawn sector during quiet magnetospheric conditions, possibly connected with either the Dungey or the Vasyliunas convection cycle.

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