On the lifetime and extent of an auroral westward flow channel (AWFC) observed during a magnetospheric substorm

A -190-nT negative bay in the geomagnetic X component measured at Macquarie Island ( -65° <font face="Symbol">L</font>) showed that an ionospheric substorm occurred during 09:58 to 11:10 UT on 27 February 2000. Signatures of an auroral westward flow channel (AWFC) were...

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Main Authors: M. L. Parkinson, M. Pinnock, H. Ye, M. R. Hairston, J. C. Devlin, P. L. Dyson, R. J. Morris, P. Ponomarenko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2003-04-01
Series:Annales Geophysicae
Online Access:https://www.ann-geophys.net/21/893/2003/angeo-21-893-2003.pdf
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author M. L. Parkinson
M. Pinnock
H. Ye
M. R. Hairston
J. C. Devlin
P. L. Dyson
R. J. Morris
P. Ponomarenko
author_facet M. L. Parkinson
M. Pinnock
H. Ye
M. R. Hairston
J. C. Devlin
P. L. Dyson
R. J. Morris
P. Ponomarenko
author_sort M. L. Parkinson
collection DOAJ
description A -190-nT negative bay in the geomagnetic X component measured at Macquarie Island ( -65° <font face="Symbol">L</font>) showed that an ionospheric substorm occurred during 09:58 to 11:10 UT on 27 February 2000. Signatures of an auroral westward flow channel (AWFC) were observed nearly simultaneously in the backscatter power, LOS Doppler velocity, and Doppler spectral width measured using the Tasman International Geospace Environment Radar (TIGER), a Southern Hemisphere HF SuperDARN radar. Many of the characteristics of the AWFC were similar to those occurring during a polarisation jet (PJ), or subauroral ion drift (SAID) event, and suggest that it may have been a pre-cursor to a fully developed, intense westward flow channel satisfying all of the criteria defining a PJ/SAID. A beam-swinging analysis showed that the westward drifts (poleward electric field) associated with the flow channel were very structured in time and space, but the smoothed velocities grew to ~ 800 ms<sup>-1</sup> (47 mVm<sup>-1</sup>) during the 22-min substorm onset interval 09:56 to 10:18 UT. Maximum west-ward drifts of &gt;1.3 km s<sup>-1</sup> (&gt;77 mVm<sup>-1</sup>) occurred during a ~ 5-min velocity spike, peaking at 10:40 UT during the expansion phase. The drifts decayed rapidly to ~ 300 ms<sup>-1</sup> (18 mVm<sup>-1</sup>) during the 6-min recovery phase interval, 11:04 to 11:10 UT. Overall, the AWFC had a lifetime of 74 min, and was located near -65° <font face="Symbol">L</font> in the evening sector west of the Harang discontinuity. The large westward drifts were confined to a geographic zonal channel of longitudinal ex-tent &gt;20° (&gt;1.3 h magnetic local time), and latitudinal width ~2° <font face="Symbol">L</font>. Using a half-width of ~ 100 km in latitude, the peak electric potential was &gt;7.7 kV. However, a transient velocity of &gt;3.1 km s<sup>-1</sup> with potential &gt;18.4 kV was observed further poleward at the end of the recovery phase. Auroral oval boundaries determined using DMSP measurements suggest the main flow channel overlapped the equatorward boundary of the diffuse auroral oval. During the ~ 2-h interval following the flow channel, an ~ 3° <font face="Symbol">L</font> wide band of scatter was observed drifting slowly toward the west, with speeds gradually decaying to ~ 50 ms<sup>-1</sup> (3 mVm <sup>-1</sup>). The scatter was observed extending past the Harang discontinuity, and had Doppler signatures characteristic of the main ionospheric trough, implicating the flow channel in the further depletion of F-region plasma. The character of this scatter was in contrast with the character of the scatter drifting toward the east at higher latitude.<br><br><b>Key words. </b>Ionosphere (auroral ionosphere; electric fields and currents; ionosphere-magnetospehere interactions) Magnetospheric physics (storms and substorms)
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spelling doaj.art-f019c56fde674e6aade4cec5548025b12022-12-21T19:47:11ZengCopernicus PublicationsAnnales Geophysicae0992-76891432-05762003-04-012189391310.5194/angeo-21-893-2003On the lifetime and extent of an auroral westward flow channel (AWFC) observed during a magnetospheric substormM. L. Parkinson0M. Pinnock1H. Ye2M. R. Hairston3J. C. Devlin4P. L. Dyson5R. J. Morris6P. Ponomarenko7Department of Physics, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, AustraliaBritish Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UKDepartment of Electronic Engineering, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, AustraliaWilliam B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USADepartment of Electronic Engineering, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, AustraliaDepartment of Physics, La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, AustraliaAustralian Antarctic Division, Kingston, Tasmania 7050, AustraliaDepartment of Physics, University of Newcastle, New South Wales 2038, AustraliaA -190-nT negative bay in the geomagnetic X component measured at Macquarie Island ( -65° <font face="Symbol">L</font>) showed that an ionospheric substorm occurred during 09:58 to 11:10 UT on 27 February 2000. Signatures of an auroral westward flow channel (AWFC) were observed nearly simultaneously in the backscatter power, LOS Doppler velocity, and Doppler spectral width measured using the Tasman International Geospace Environment Radar (TIGER), a Southern Hemisphere HF SuperDARN radar. Many of the characteristics of the AWFC were similar to those occurring during a polarisation jet (PJ), or subauroral ion drift (SAID) event, and suggest that it may have been a pre-cursor to a fully developed, intense westward flow channel satisfying all of the criteria defining a PJ/SAID. A beam-swinging analysis showed that the westward drifts (poleward electric field) associated with the flow channel were very structured in time and space, but the smoothed velocities grew to ~ 800 ms<sup>-1</sup> (47 mVm<sup>-1</sup>) during the 22-min substorm onset interval 09:56 to 10:18 UT. Maximum west-ward drifts of &gt;1.3 km s<sup>-1</sup> (&gt;77 mVm<sup>-1</sup>) occurred during a ~ 5-min velocity spike, peaking at 10:40 UT during the expansion phase. The drifts decayed rapidly to ~ 300 ms<sup>-1</sup> (18 mVm<sup>-1</sup>) during the 6-min recovery phase interval, 11:04 to 11:10 UT. Overall, the AWFC had a lifetime of 74 min, and was located near -65° <font face="Symbol">L</font> in the evening sector west of the Harang discontinuity. The large westward drifts were confined to a geographic zonal channel of longitudinal ex-tent &gt;20° (&gt;1.3 h magnetic local time), and latitudinal width ~2° <font face="Symbol">L</font>. Using a half-width of ~ 100 km in latitude, the peak electric potential was &gt;7.7 kV. However, a transient velocity of &gt;3.1 km s<sup>-1</sup> with potential &gt;18.4 kV was observed further poleward at the end of the recovery phase. Auroral oval boundaries determined using DMSP measurements suggest the main flow channel overlapped the equatorward boundary of the diffuse auroral oval. During the ~ 2-h interval following the flow channel, an ~ 3° <font face="Symbol">L</font> wide band of scatter was observed drifting slowly toward the west, with speeds gradually decaying to ~ 50 ms<sup>-1</sup> (3 mVm <sup>-1</sup>). The scatter was observed extending past the Harang discontinuity, and had Doppler signatures characteristic of the main ionospheric trough, implicating the flow channel in the further depletion of F-region plasma. The character of this scatter was in contrast with the character of the scatter drifting toward the east at higher latitude.<br><br><b>Key words. </b>Ionosphere (auroral ionosphere; electric fields and currents; ionosphere-magnetospehere interactions) Magnetospheric physics (storms and substorms)https://www.ann-geophys.net/21/893/2003/angeo-21-893-2003.pdf
spellingShingle M. L. Parkinson
M. Pinnock
H. Ye
M. R. Hairston
J. C. Devlin
P. L. Dyson
R. J. Morris
P. Ponomarenko
On the lifetime and extent of an auroral westward flow channel (AWFC) observed during a magnetospheric substorm
Annales Geophysicae
title On the lifetime and extent of an auroral westward flow channel (AWFC) observed during a magnetospheric substorm
title_full On the lifetime and extent of an auroral westward flow channel (AWFC) observed during a magnetospheric substorm
title_fullStr On the lifetime and extent of an auroral westward flow channel (AWFC) observed during a magnetospheric substorm
title_full_unstemmed On the lifetime and extent of an auroral westward flow channel (AWFC) observed during a magnetospheric substorm
title_short On the lifetime and extent of an auroral westward flow channel (AWFC) observed during a magnetospheric substorm
title_sort on the lifetime and extent of an auroral westward flow channel awfc observed during a magnetospheric substorm
url https://www.ann-geophys.net/21/893/2003/angeo-21-893-2003.pdf
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