Formation of the stable auroral arc that intensifies at substorm onset

Details Formation of the stable auroral arc that intensifies at substorm onset Formation of the stable auroral arc that intensifies at substorm onset

Nov 1992

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1992georl..19.2171l&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters (ISSN 0094-8276), vol. 19, no. 21, p. 2171-2174.

Physics

27

Auroral Arcs, Magnetic Storms, Plasma Pressure, Electron Precipitation, Field Aligned Currents, Pressure Gradients

Scientific paper

Observational evidence that the auroral arc that intensifies at substorm onset is formed on magnetic field lines that map to within about 1 to 2 Re of synchronous orbit, where plasma pressures are about 1 to 10 nPa during the substorm growth phase, is discussed. It is proposed that the arc is formed by a perpendicular magnetospheric-current divergence that results from a strong dawn-to-dusk directed pressure gradient in the vicinity of magnetic midnight. It is estimated that the current divergence is sufficiently strong that a greater than 1 kV field-aligned potential drop is required to maintain ionospheric-current continuity. It is suggested that the azimuthal pressure gradient results from proton drifts in the vicinity of synchronous orbit that are directed nearly parallel to the cross-tail electric field.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Formation of the stable auroral arc that intensifies at substorm onset 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 Formation of the stable auroral arc that intensifies at substorm onset, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Formation of the stable auroral arc that intensifies at substorm onset will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1552890