Observational evidence for an inside-out substorm onset scenario
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present observations which provide strong support for a substorm expansion phase onset scenario in which a localized inner magnetospheric instability developed first and was later followed by the development of a Near Earth Neutral Line (NENL) farther down-tail.
Abstract: . We present observations which provide strong support for a substorm expansion phase onset scenario in which a localized inner magnetospheric instability developed first and was later followed by the development of a Near Earth Neutral Line (NENL) farther down-tail. Specifically, we find that the onset began as a localized brightening of an intensified growth phase arc which developed as a periodic series of arc-aligned (i.e. azimuthally arrayed) bright spots. As the disturbance grew, it evolved into vortical structures that propagated poleward and eventually morphed into an east-west aligned arc system at the poleward edge of the auroral substorm bulge. The evolution of the auroral intensity is consistent with an exponential growth with an e-folding time of around 188 s (corresponding to a linear growth rate, γ of 5.33×10−3 s−1). During the initial breakup, no obvious distortions of auroral forms to the north were observed. However, during the expansion phase, intensifications of the poleward boundary of the expanding bulge were observed together with the equatorward ejection of auroral streamers into the bulge. A strong particle injection was observed at geosynchronous orbit, but was delayed by several minutes relative to onset. Ground magnetometer data also shows a two phase development of mid-latitude positive H-bays, with a quasi-linear increase in H between the onset and the injection. We conclude that this event provides strong evidence in favor of the so-called "inside-out" substorm onset scenario in which the near Earth region activates first followed at a later time by the formation of a near-to-mid tail substorm X-line. The ballooning instability is discussed as a likely mechanism for the initial onset.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider substorm onset processes, the substorm current system, sunspots, solar flares, coronal mass ejections, the interplanetary current sheet, and the magnetic field configuration of the heliosphere in terms of the current system concept.
Abstract: . In 1967, at the Birkeland Symposium in Sandefjord, Norway, Professor Hannes Alfven stated that the second approach (in solving unsolved problems by the standard MHD theory) to cosmic electrodynamics is to "thaw" the "frozen-in" magnetic field lines. "We can illustrate essential properties of the electromagnetic state of space either by depicting the magnetic field lines or by depicting electric current lines," he said. There has been much progress in space physics since the Birkeland Symposium more than 40 years ago, but unfortunately our scientific community has not really succeeded in thawing the frozen-in field lines. Instead, it has pursued magnetic reconnection, a concept that Alfven had been critical of. It is shown here that we have to study many unsolved problems and problems thought to be solved in terms of both the magnetic field line concept and the current system concept. In taking Alfven's approach, we must consider the whole system, including the power supply (dynamo process) and its transmission and distribution (electric currents) and observed phenomena (power dissipation processes). Such a consideration can provide physical insight into many of our unsolved problems and problems thought to be solved. In this paper, we consider substorm onset processes, the substorm current system, sunspots, solar flares, coronal mass ejections, the interplanetary current sheet, and the magnetic field configuration of the heliosphere in terms of the current system concept. In particular, it is shown that a study of the current system is essential in substorm studies, more than changes of the magnetic field configuration in the magnetotail.
6 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a new model for the formation of detached sub-auroral (STEVE-like) emissions in which a non-linear growth of a SAPS-driven instability at the plasmapause results in the disruption of the boundary separating hot plasma sheet particle from the cold plasmaspheric plasma.
6 citations
5 citations
Cites background from "Observational evidence for an insid..."
..., 2000); (2) fast plasma flows (or bursty bulk flows (BBFs)) in the magnetotail associated with auroral streamers (Henderson, 2009; Henderson et al., 2002; Sergeev et al., 2005); (3) the hybrid...
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...…Rostoker & Samson, 1984; Wild et al., 2000); (2) fast plasma flows (or bursty bulk flows (BBFs)) in the magnetotail associated with auroral streamers (Henderson, 2009; Henderson et al., 2002; Sergeev et al., 2005); (3) the hybrid Kelvin-Helmholtz/Rayleigh-Taylor instability in the plasma sheet…...
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a scenario about the trigger for substorm onset, where the magnetic flux tubes of a dying bubble, which cause the most equatorward aurora thin arc, would block the later coming bubble tailward of them, forming an unstable domain.
Abstract: In this study, we propose a scenario about the trigger for substorm onset. In a stable magnetosphere, entropy is an increasing function tailward. However, in the growth phase of a substorm, a later born bubble has lower entropy than earlier born bubbles. When a bubble arrives at its final destination in the near-Earth region, it will spread azimuthally because of its relatively uniform entropy. The magnetic flux tubes of a dying bubble, which cause the most equatorward aurora thin arc, would block the later coming bubble tailward of them, forming an unstable domain. Therefore, an interchange instability develops, which leads to the collapse of the unstable domain, followed by the collapse of the stretched plasma sheet. We regard the substorm onset as a switch on the sequence of transport, i.e., from a decreasing entropy process to an increasing entropy process. We calculated the most unstable growth rates and the wavelengths of instability, and both are in agreement with observations.
5 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a morphological one-to-one association between longitudinally propagating arc wave (LPAW) in the ionosphere and Pi2/Pc4 range wave activity in the plasma sheet was found.
Abstract: Azimuthally propagating low-frequency waves (or wavy structures) often occur in a localized region of the near-Earth plasma sheet and auroral arc immediately prior to auroral breakup. Although both are believed to be magnetospheric and ionospheric manifestations of a plasma sheet instability that may lead to substorm onset, the fundamental coupling processes behind their relationship are not yet understood. To address this question, we reexamined in detail a fortuitous conjunction event of prebreakup near-Earth plasma sheet and auroral arc waves, initially reported by Uritsky et al. (2009) using the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms space-ground observations. The event exhibited a morphological one-to-one association between longitudinally propagating arc wave (LPAW) in the ionosphere and Pi2/Pc4 range wave activity in the plasma sheet. Our analysis revealed that (1) the LPAW was the periodic luminosity modulation of the growth phase arc by faint, diffuse, green line-dominated auroral patches propagating westward along/near the arc, rather than some type of small-scale arc structuring, such as auroral beads/rays/undulations; and (2) the plasma sheet wave, which had a diamagnetic nature, propagated duskward with accompanying coincident modulation of field-aligned fluxes of 0.1–30 keV electrons. These findings suggest that the LPAW was likely connected to the plasma sheet wave via modulated diffuse precipitation of hard plasma sheet electrons (> ~1 keV), not via filamentary field-aligned currents, as expected from the ballooning instability regime. Another potential implication is that such prebreakup low-frequency wave activity in the near-Earth plasma sheet is not necessarily guaranteed to initiate prebreakup auroral arc structuring.
5 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, a working model of simultaneous auroral activity over the entire polar region is presented in terms of the auroral substorm, which has two characteristic phases, an expansive phase and a recovery phase.
1,460 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a phenomenological model of the magnetospheric substorm sequence, which can be divided into three main phases: the growth phase, the expansion phase, and the recovery phase.
Abstract: In the eight preceding papers, two magnetospheric substorms on August 15, 1968, were studied with data derived from many sources. In this, the concluding paper, we attempt a synthesis of these observations, presenting a phenomenological model of the magnetospheric substorm. On the basis of our results for August 15, together with previous reports, we believe that the substorm sequence can be divided into three main phases: the growth phase, the expansion phase, and the recovery phase. Observations for each of the first three substorms on this day are organized according to this scheme. We present these observations as three distinct chronologies, which we then summarize as a phenomenological model. This model is consistent with most of our observations on August 15, as well as with most previous reports. In our interpretation we expand our phenomenological model, briefly described in several preceding papers. This model follows closely the theoretical ideas presented more quantitatively in recent papers by Coroniti and Kennel (1972a, b; 1973). A southward turning of the interplanetary magnetic field is accompanied by erosion of the dayside magnetosphere, flux transport to the geomagnetic tail, and thinning and inward motion of the plasma sheet. Our observations indicate, furthermore, that the expansionmore » phase of substorms can originate near the inner edge of thc plasm sheet as a consequence of rapid plasma sheet thinnig. At this time a portion of the inner edge of the tail current is short circuited' through the ionosphere. This process is consistent with the formation of a neutral point in the near-tail region and its subsequent propagation tailward. However, the onset of the expansion phase of substorms is found to be far from a simple process. Expansion phases can be centered at local times far from midnight, can apparently be localized to one meridian, and can have multiple onsets centered at different local times. Such behavior indicates that, in comparing observations occurring in different substorms, careful note should be made of the localization and central meridian of cach substorm. (auth)« less
1,138 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this article, observations made during three substorms on August 15, 1968, are shown to be consistent with current theoretical ideas about the cause of substorm, and the phenomenological model described in several preceding papers is further expanded.
Abstract: Observations made during three substorms on August 15, 1968, are shown to be consistent with current theoretical ideas about the cause of substorms. The phenomenological model described in several preceding papers is further expanded. This model follows closely the theoretical ideas presented more quantitatively in recent papers by Coronti and Kennel (1972 and 1973).
951 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a phenomenological or qualitative model of the substorm sequence is presented, where the flux transport is driven by the merging of the magnetospheric and interplanetary magnetic fields.
Abstract: The tail plays a very active and important role in substorms. Magmetic flux eroded from the dayside magnetosphere is stored here. As more and more flux is transported to the magnetotail and stored, the boundary flares more, the field strength in the tail increases, and the currents strengthen and move closer to the earth. Further, the plasma sheet thins and the magnetic flux crossing the neutral sheet lessens. The experimental evidence for these processes is discussed and a phenomenological or qualitative model of the substorm sequence is presented. In this model, the flux transport is driven by the merging of the magnetospheric and interplanetary magnetic fields. During the growth phase of substorms the merging rate on the dayside magnetosphere exceeds the reconnection rate in the neutral sheet.
552 citations
"Observational evidence for an insid..." refers background in this paper
...…or mechanisms have been introduced over the past 40 years in attempts to explain the observed phenomenology (e.g.Swift, 1967; Hones et al., 1973; Russell and McPherron, 1973; McPherron et al., 1973; Hones, 1977; Lui, 1978; Lui et al., 1988; Roux, 1985; Smith et al., 1986; Rostoker and Eastman,…...
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors studied possible braking mechanisms of high-speed ion flows in the near Earth central plasma sheet for radial distances between 9 and 19 Earth Radii (RE) on the basis of observations made by the AMPTE/IRM satellite.
Abstract: We have studied possible braking mechanisms of high-speed ion flows in the near-Earth central plasma sheet for radial distances between 9 and 19 Earth Radii (RE) on the basis of observations made by the AMPTE/IRM satellite. Flows with velocities in excess of 400 km/s are almost always Earthward for this range, indicating that the source of the flows is beyond 19 RE. Though the occurrence rate of the high-speed flows substantially decreases when the satellite comes closer to the Earth, high-speed flows with velocities higher than 600 km/s are still observed. We suggest that the high-speed flows are stopped at a clear boundary between the regions of dipolar field and tail-like field in the plasma sheet. The boundary corresponds to the inner edge of the neutral sheet. The average jump of the magnetic field at the boundary, which is estimated from the observations by assuming a pressure balance, is 6.7 nT. The inertia current caused by the braking of the flow and the current caused by pileup of the magnetic flux at the stopping point are quantitatively estimated and discussed in relation to the formation of the substorm current wedge.
480 citations
"Observational evidence for an insid..." refers background in this paper
...The deceleration or “braking” of these flow bursts in the near-Earth region produces the familiar current wedge, Pi2 pulsations and breakup activity on or near the most equatorward arc (Haerendel, 1992; Shiokawa et al., 1997, 1998)....
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