Small-scale electric fields in downward auroral current channels

Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics

Volumn 108, Issue A7, 2003, Pages

  Streltsov, A V ^a   Lotko, W ^a  

^a DARTMOUTH COLLEGE   (United States)

Author keywords

Anomalous resistivity; Auroral acceleration region; Ionospheric resonator; Ionsophere feedback instability; Magnetosphere ionosphere coupling

Indexed keywords

EID: 2542486320     PISSN: None     EISSN: 21699402     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1029/2002JA009806     Document Type: Article

References (46)

1. Aikio, A. T., G. T. Marklund, J. Woch, and T. A. Potemra, Small-scale structures in the high-altitude auroral electric field, Ann. Geophys., 13, 84, 1995.
2. Allan, W., and A. N. Wright, Magnetotail waveguide: Fast and Alfvén waves in the plasma sheet boundary layer and lobe, J. Geophys. Res., 105, 317, 2000.
3. Atkinson, G., Auroral arcs: Result of the interaction of a dynamic magnetosphere with the ionosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 75, 4746, 1970.
4. Borovsky, J. E., Auroral ark thicknesses as predicted by various theories, J. Geophys. Res., 98, 6101, 1993.
5. Cattell, C., et al., The association of electrostatic ion cyclotron waves, ion and electron beams and field-aligned currents: FAST observations of an auroral zone crossing near midnight, Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 2053, 1998.
6. Chmyrev, V. M., S. V. Bilichenko, O. A. Pokhotelov, V. A. Marchenko, V. I. Lazarev, A. V. Streltsov, and L. Steflo, Alfvén vortices and related phenomena in the ionosphere and the magnetosphere, Phys. Script., 38, 841, 1988.
7. Cummings, W. D., R. J. O'Sullivan, and P. J. Coleman Jr., Standing Alfvén waves in the magnetosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 74, 778, 1969.
8. Doe, R. A., M. Mendillo, J. F. Vickrey, L. Z. Zanetti, and R. W. Eastes, Observations of nightside auroral cavities, J. Geophys. Res., 98, 293, 1993.
9. Doe, R. A., J. F. Vickrey, and M. Mendillo, Electrodynamic model for the formation of auroral ionospheric cavities, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 9683, 1995.
10. Dubinin, E. M., A. S. Volokitin, P. L. Izraelevich, and N. S. Nikolaeva, Auroral electrodynamic disturbances at latitudes of 900 km: Alfvén wave turbulence, Planet. Space Sci., 36, 949, 1988.
11. Dubinin, E. M., P. L. Izraelevich, and N. S. Nikolaeva, Auroral electrodynamic disturbances at latitudes of 900 km: The relationship between the electric and magnetic field variations, Planet. Space Sci., 38, 97, 1990.
12. Fedorov, E., V. Pilipenko, and M. J. Engebretson, UIf wave damping in the auroral acceleration region, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 6203, 2001.
13. Forget, B., J.-C. Cerisier, A. Bertheleir, and J.-J. Berthelier, Ionospheric closure of small-scale birkeland currents, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 1843, 1991.
14. Kan, J. R., and L. C. Lee, Theory of imperfect magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, Geophys. Res. Lett., 7, 633, 1980.
15. Keiling, A., et al., Large Alfvén wave power in the plasma sheet boundary layer during the expansion phase of substorms, Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, 3169, 2000.
16. Knudsen, D. J., M. C. Kelley, and J. F. Vickrey, Alfvén waves in the auroral ionosphere: A numerical model compared with measurements, J. Geophys. Res., 97, 77, 1992.
17. Lessard, M. R., and D. J. Knudsen, Ionospheric reflection of small-scale Alfvén wasves, Geophys. Res. Lett., 28, 3573, 2001.
18. Louam, P., J.-E. Wahlund, T. Chust, H. de Feraudy, A. Roux, B. Holback, P. O. Dovner, A. I. Eriksson, and G. Holmgren, Observations of kinetic Alfvén waves by the freja spacecraft, Geophys. Res. Lett., 21, 1847, 1994.
19. Lysak, R. L., Coupling of the dynamic ionosphere to auroral flux tubes, J. Geophys. Res., 91, 7047, 1986.
20. Lysak, R. L., Electrodynamic coupling of the magnetosphere and ionosphere, Space Sci. Rev., 52, 33, 1990.
21. Lysak, R. L., Feedback instability of the ionospheric resonant cavity, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 1553, 1991.
22. Lysak, R. L., and C. T. Dum, Dynamics of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling including turbulent transport, J. Geophys. Res., 88, 365, 1983.
23. Lysak, R. L., and M. K. Hudson, Effect of double layers on magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, Lasers Particle Beams, 5, 351, 1987.
24. Lysak, R. L., and Y. Song, Energetics of the ionospheric feedback interaction, J. Geophys. Res., 107(A8), 1160, doi:10.1029/2001JA000308, 2002.
25. Marklund, G., L. Blomberg, C.-G. Falthammar, P.-A. Lindqvist, and L. Eliasson, On the occurrence and characteristics of intense low-altitude electric fields, Ann. Geophys., 13, 704, 1995.
26. Miura, A., and T. Sato, Numerical simulations of global formation of auroral arcs, J. Geophys. Res., 85, 73, 1980.
27. Mozer, F. S., ISEE-1 observations of electrostatic shocks on auroral zone field lines between 2.5 and 7 earth radii, Phys. Rev. Lett., 8, 823, 1981.
28. Pilipenko, V., E. Fedorov, and M. J. Engebretson, Alfvén resonator in the topside ionosphere beneath the auroral acceleration region, J. Geophys. Res., 107(A9), 1257, doi:10.1029/2001JA009282, 2002.
29. Pokhotelov, D. A., V. Khruschev, M. Parrot, S. Senchenkov, and V. P. Pavlenko, Ionospheric Alfvén resonator revisited: Feedback instability, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 25,813, 2001.
30. Pokhotelov, D., W. Lotko, and A. V. Streltsov, Effects of the seasonal asymmetry in ionospheric pedersen conductance on the appearance of discrete aurora, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29(10), 1437, doi:10.1029/2001GL014010, 2002a.
31. Pokhotelov, D., W. Lotko, and A. V. Streltsov, Harmonic structure of field-line eigenmodes generated by ionospheric feedback instability, J. Geophys. Res., 707(A11), 1363, doi:10.1029/2001JA000134, 2002b.
32. Polyakov, S. V., and V. O. Rapoport, The ionospheric Alfvén resonator, Geomagn. Aeron., 21, 816, 1981.
33. Prakash, M., R. Rankin, and V. T. Tikhonchuk, Precipitation and nonlinear effects in geomagnetic field resonances line, J. Geophys. Res., 108(A4), 8014, doi:10.1029/2002JA009383, 2003.
34. Sato, T., A theory of quiet auroral arcs, J. Geophys. Res., 83, 1042, 1978.
35. Seyler, C. E., A mathematical model of the structure and evolution of smallscale discrete auroral arcs, J. Geophys. Res., 95, 17,199, 1990.
36. Stasiewicz, K., and T. Potemra, Multiscale current structures observed by freja, J. Geophys. Res., 103, 4315, 1998.
37. Streltsov, A. V., and W. Lotko, Small-scale, "electrostatic" auroral structures and Alfvén waves, J. Geophys. Res., 104, 4411, 1999.
38. Streltsov, A. V., and W. Lotko, Reflection and absorption of alfvénic power in the low-altitude magnetosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 108(A4), 1434, doi:10.1029/2002JA009425, 2003.
39. Streltsov, A. V., W. Lotko, A. Keiling, and J. R. Wygant, Numerical modelling of Alfvén waves observed by Polar spacecraft in the nightside plasmasheet boundary layer, J. Geophys. Res., 107(A8), 1173, doi:10.1029/2001JA900113, 2002.
40. Temerin, M., C. Cattell, R. Lysak, M. Hudson, R. B. Torbert, F. S. Mozer, R. D. Sharp, and P. M. Kintner, The small scale structure of electrostatic shocks, J. Geophys. Res., 86, 1981.
41. Trakhtengertz, V. Y., and A. Y. Feldstein, Turbulent Alfvén boundary layer in the polar ionosphere: 1. Excitation conditions and energrtics, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 19, 1991.
42. Vogt, J., and G. Haerendel, Reflection and transmission of Alfvén waves at the auroral acceleration region, Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 277, 1998.
43. Watanabe, T., H. Oya, K. Watanabe, and T. Sato, Comprehensive simulation study on local and global development of auroral arcs and fieldaligned potentials, J. Geophys. Res., 98, 21, 1993.
44. Wei, C. Q., and L. C. Lee, Coupling of magnetopause-boundary layer to the polar ionosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 98, 5707, 1993.
45. Wygant, J. R., Polar spacecraft based comparisons of intence electric fields and poynting flux near and within the plasma sheet-tail lobe boundary to uvi images: an energy souce for the aurora, J. Geophys. Res., 105, 18, 2000.
46. Yoshikawa, A., and M. Itonaga, The nature of reflection and mode conversion of MHD waves in the inductive ionosphere: Multistep mode conversion between divergent and rotational electric fields, J. Geophys. Res., 105, 10, 2000.