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Problems with mapping the auroral oval and magnetospheric substorms
E E Antonova1, V G Vorobjev2, I P Kirpichev3
1Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.
Earth, Planets, and Space : EPS
|September 23, 2016
Summary
Mapping the auroral oval to the equatorial plane is crucial for understanding space weather. Our study suggests the auroral oval maps to a plasma ring, not just the plasma sheet, impacting substorm dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Space Physics
- Magnetospheric Physics
- Auroral Physics
Background:
- Accurate mapping of the auroral oval to the equatorial plane is essential for analyzing aurora and substorm dynamics.
- Previous studies primarily considered this region part of the plasma sheet.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the precise mapping of the auroral oval into the equatorial plane.
- To investigate the potential formation of a plasma ring from the auroral oval region.
Main Methods:
- Comparing ion pressure data from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites at low altitudes with equatorial plane plasma pressure data from Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) satellites.
- Analyzing satellite measurements during auroral oval crossings.
Main Results:
- The main part of the auroral oval maps to the equatorial plane between 6 and 12 Earth radii.
- This region, particularly on the nightside, may constitute a plasma ring rather than solely the plasma sheet.
- The findings offer explanations for the auroral oval's ring shape and injection boundary location.
Conclusions:
- The auroral oval's mapping to the equatorial plane suggests a plasma ring structure.
- This revised understanding can explain auroral morphology, injection boundaries, and substorm onset features.
- Further research into this plasma ring model is warranted for a comprehensive understanding of magnetospheric dynamics.
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