Monopolar and bipolar auroral electric fields and their effects
Most of the high-altitude auroral electric fields observed by CLUSTER can be classified into monopolar and bipolar structures. The observations associate monopolar electric fields with polar cap boundary arcs, while bipolar fields tend to be linked to discrete arcs within the auroral oval and to...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2010-11-01
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| Series: | Annales Geophysicae |
| Online Access: | https://www.ann-geophys.net/28/2027/2010/angeo-28-2027-2010.pdf |
| Summary: | Most of the high-altitude auroral electric fields observed by CLUSTER can
be classified into monopolar and bipolar structures. The observations
associate monopolar electric fields with polar cap boundary arcs, while
bipolar fields tend to be linked to discrete arcs within the auroral oval and
to polar cap arcs. The present paper proposes an explanation for this
association based on a simple model of the magnetotail configuration and
kinetic model computations. The paper introduces a quasi-electrostatic model
to describe the auroral current system associated with monopolar and bipolar
high-altitude fields. Analytic solutions are presented. The model gives
indications about the location of the up- and downward field-aligned current regions, the
ionospheric and magnetospheric convection along the arc, the acceleration or
deceleration of precipitating particles, and the behaviour of escaping
ionospheric ions. |
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| ISSN: | 0992-7689 1432-0576 |