Showing papers on "Substorm published in 2008"

The THEMIS Mission

Abstract: The Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) mission is the fifth NASA Medium-class Explorer (MIDEX), launched on February 17, 2007 to determine the trigger and large-scale evolution of substorms. The mission employs five identical micro-satellites (hereafter termed “probes”) which line up along the Earth’s magnetotail to track the motion of particles, plasma and waves from one point to another and for the first time resolve space–time ambiguities in key regions of the magnetosphere on a global scale. The probes are equipped with comprehensive in-situ particles and fields instruments that measure the thermal and super-thermal ions and electrons, and electromagnetic fields from DC to beyond the electron cyclotron frequency in the regions of interest. The primary goal of THEMIS, which drove the mission design, is to elucidate which magnetotail process is responsible for substorm onset at the region where substorm auroras map (∼10 RE): (i) a local disruption of the plasma sheet current (current disruption) or (ii) the interaction of the current sheet with the rapid influx of plasma emanating from reconnection at ∼25 RE. However, the probes also traverse the radiation belts and the dayside magnetosphere, allowing THEMIS to address additional baseline objectives, namely: how the radiation belts are energized on time scales of 2–4 hours during the recovery phase of storms, and how the pristine solar wind’s interaction with upstream beams, waves and the bow shock affects Sun–Earth coupling. THEMIS’s open data policy, platform-independent dataset, open-source analysis software, automated plotting and dissemination of data within hours of receipt, dedicated ground-based observatory network and strong links to ancillary space-based and ground-based programs. promote a grass-roots integration of relevant NASA, NSF and international assets in the context of an international Heliophysics Observatory over the next decade. The mission has demonstrated spacecraft and mission design strategies ideal for Constellation-class missions and its science is complementary to Cluster and MMS. THEMIS, the first NASA micro-satellite constellation, is a technological pathfinder for future Sun-Earth Connections missions and a stepping stone towards understanding Space Weather.

Tail reconnection triggering substorm onset.

Abstract: Magnetospheric substorms explosively release solar wind energy previously stored in Earth's magnetotail, encompassing the entire magnetosphere and producing spectacular auroral displays. It has been unclear whether a substorm is triggered by a disruption of the electrical current flowing across the near-Earth magnetotail, at approximately 10 R(E) (R(E): Earth radius, or 6374 kilometers), or by the process of magnetic reconnection typically seen farther out in the magnetotail, at approximately 20 to 30 R(E). We report on simultaneous measurements in the magnetotail at multiple distances, at the time of substorm onset. Reconnection was observed at 20 R(E), at least 1.5 minutes before auroral intensification, at least 2 minutes before substorm expansion, and about 3 minutes before near-Earth current disruption. These results demonstrate that substorms are likely initiated by tail reconnection.

The THEMIS Array of Ground-based Observatories for the Study of Auroral Substorms

Abstract: The NASA Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) project is intended to investigate magnetospheric substorm phenomena, which are the manifestations of a basic instability of the magnetosphere and a dominant mechanism of plasma transport and explosive energy release. The major controversy in substorm science is the uncertainty as to whether the instability is initiated near the Earth, or in the more distant >20 Re magnetic tail. THEMIS will discriminate between the two possibilities by using five in-situ satellites and ground-based all-sky imagers and magnetometers, and inferring the propagation direction by timing the observation of the substorm initiation at multiple locations in the magnetosphere. An array of stations, consisting of 20 all-sky imagers (ASIs) and 30-plus magnetometers, has been developed and deployed in the North American continent, from Alaska to Labrador, for the broad coverage of the nightside magnetosphere. Each ground-based observatory (GBO) contains a white light imager that takes auroral images at a 3-second repetition rate (“cadence”) and a magnetometer that records the 3 axis variation of the magnetic field at 2 Hz frequency. The stations return compressed images, “thumbnails,” to two central databases: one located at UC Berkeley and the other at the University of Calgary, Canada. The full images are recorded at each station on hard drives, and these devices are physically returned to the two data centers for data copying. All data are made available for public use by scientists in “browse products,” accessible by using internet browsers or in the form of downloadable CDF data files (the “browse products” are described in detail in a later section). Twenty all-sky imager stations are installed and running at the time of this publication. An example of a substorm was observed on the 23rd of December 2006, and from the THEMIS GBO data, we found that the substorm onset brightening of the equatorward arc was a gradual process (>27 seconds), with minimal morphology changes until the arc breaks up. The breakup was timed to the nearest frame (<3 s) and located to the nearest latitude degree at about ±3oE in longitude. The data also showed that a similar breakup occurred in Alaska ∼10 minutes later, highlighting the need for an array to distinguish prime onset.

First Results from the THEMIS Mission

Abstract: THEMIS was launched on February 17, 2007 to determine the trigger and large-scale evolution of substorms. During the first seven months of the mission the five satellites coasted near their injection orbit to avoid differential precession in anticipation of orbit placement, which started in September 2007 and led to a commencement of the baseline mission in December 2007. During the coast phase the probes were put into a string-of-pearls configuration at 100 s of km to 2 RE along-track separations, which provided a unique view of the magnetosphere and enabled an unprecedented dataset in anticipation of the first tail season. In this paper we describe the first THEMIS substorm observations, captured during instrument commissioning on March 23, 2007. THEMIS measured the rapid expansion of the plasma sheet at a speed that is commensurate with the simultaneous expansion of the auroras on the ground. These are the first unequivocal observations of the rapid westward expansion process in space and on the ground. Aided by the remote sensing technique at energetic particle boundaries and combined with ancillary measurements and MHD simulations, they allow determination and mapping of space currents. These measurements show the power of the THEMIS instrumentation in the tail and the radiation belts. We also present THEMIS Flux Transfer Events (FTE) observations at the magnetopause, which demonstrate the importance of multi-point observations there and the quality of the THEMIS instrumentation in that region of space.

OpenGGCM Simulations for the THEMIS Mission

Abstract: The THEMIS mission provides unprecedented multi-point observations of the magnetosphere in conjunction with an equally unprecedented dense network of ground measurements. However, coverage of the magnetosphere is still sparse. In order to tie together the THEMIS observations and to understand the data better, we will use the Open Geospace General Circulation Model (OpenGGCM), a global model of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. OpenGGCM solves the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations in the outer magnetosphere and couples via field aligned current (FAC), electric potential, and electron precipitation to a ionosphere potential solver and the Coupled Thermosphere Ionosphere Model (CTIM). The OpenGGCM thus provides a global comprehensive view of the magnetosphere-ionosphere system. An OpenGGCM simulation of one of the first substorms observed by THEMIS on 23 March 2007 shows that the OpenGGCM reproduces the observed substorm signatures very well, thus laying the groundwork for future use of the OpenGGCM to aid in understanding THEMIS data and ultimately contributing to a comprehensive model of the substorm process.

Intensification of preexisting auroral arc at substorm expansion phase onset: Wave‐like disruption during the first tens of seconds

Abstract: [1] With the deployment of the all-sky imager array of the THEMIS mission, we were able to construct a preliminary database of auroral substorm expansion phase onsets, from which we have established a number of common features characterizing the first tens of seconds of the substorm auroral intensification. We find that the intensification occurs within ∼10 sec over an arc segment extending approximately 1 h MLT and featuring wave-like formations distributed in longitude. The longitudinal wave number ranges between 100 and 300 such that the wavelength is comparable to the ion gyroradius in the central plasma sheet. The scale the intensification is about 10–30 sec. This study casts important observational constraints on substorm onset theories.

First Results of the THEMIS Search Coil Magnetometers

Abstract: We present the first data from the THEMIS Search Coil Magnetometers (SCM), taken between March and June 2007 while the THEMIS constellation apogee moved from the duskside toward the dawnside. Data reduction, especially the SCM calibration method and spurious noise reduction process, is described. The signatures of magnetic fluctuations in key magnetospheric regions such as the bow shock, the magnetopause and the magnetotail during a substorm, are described. We also discuss the role that magnetic fluctuations could play in plasma transport, acceleration and heating.

Ballooning mode waves prior to substorm‐associated dipolarizations: Geotail observations

Abstract: [1] We present in situ observations consistent with the ballooning mode in the vicinity of the magnetic equator at XGSM = −10 to −13 RE prior to substorm-associated dipolarization onsets. The ballooning instability is expected to have a wavevector along the Y direction and to give variation to the curvature of the ambient magnetic field lines. The magnetic field fluctuations appearing in the Bx component are transported by the ambient plasma drift in the Y direction. A discrete frequency band would be identified in time series data if the mode has a discrete wavelength. The ballooning mode of this property was identified at the magnetic equator a few min before dipolarization onsets only when the plasma β was large (20 to 70). Using low-energy ion velocity data, we show that the mode has almost zero frequency in the plasma rest frame so that ωsc ∼ ky · vy, where ωsc is the frequency in the spacecraft frame, and ky and vy are the wavenumber and the ambient plasma flow in the Y direction, respectively. This enables us to estimate the wavelengths of the ballooning mode, which were found to be of the order of the ion Larmor radius.

Simultaneous THEMIS in situ and auroral observations of a small substorm

Abstract: [1] We present ground-based and in situ observations from March 13, 2007. The THEMIS satellites were in the evening sector conjugate to THEMIS ground-based imagers. At ∼0507 UT there was an optical onset on inner CPS field lines. This involved near-simultaneous brightening of 1 MLT hour longitudinal segment of the onset arc. The part of the arc that brightened was that closest to the equatorward boundary of the diffuse (proton) aurora. Within one minute, a dipolarization front moved across four THEMIS satellites. Based on their locations, the order in which they detected the dipolarization front, and the auroral evolution, we assert that the expansion phase began earthward of the four satellites and evolved radially outwards. We conclude that this onset occurred in an azimuthally localized region of highly stretched field lines.

Response of the expanding/contracting polar cap to weak and strong solar wind driving: Implications for substorm onset

Abstract: [1] We quantify the amount of open magnetic flux in the magnetosphere from observations of the auroral polar cap on a near-continuous basis for a period of 18 days, 20 August to 6 September 2005. This interval encompasses periods of weak, moderate, and strong solar wind driving, including two geomagnetic storms. We identify 49 substorms during the interval and determine the response of the polar cap to growth and expansion phases of the substorms. We find that the frequency of substorms and the flux closed by substorms both increase during enhanced solar wind driving, each approximately as the square root of the dayside reconnection rate. In addition, the average size of the polar cap increases during intervals when there is strong driving and especially when the SYM-H index indicates that the ring current is enhanced. We suggest that this occurs for two reasons: because there is a delay between substorm onset and the closure of open magnetic flux in the magnetotail (while closed flux is pinched off), during which dayside reconnection can lead to further growth in the size of the polar cap, and also because the magnetotail is more stable to reconnection when the ring current is enhanced.

GPS scintillation in the high arctic associated with an auroral arc

Abstract: A rapid signal-fading event produced by diffractive scintillations was observed around 0123 UT on 8 November 2004 by three closely sited (less than 250 m apart) GPS scintillation receivers in northern Norway. The entire duration of the event was about 10 s and was recorded by all three receivers. Intense, short duration events such as these are not clearly observable in the 1-min scintillation index (S4) because they do not necessarily last for the entire minute. In spite of their short duration they can cause a receiver to lose lock because of their intensity. The geomagnetic conditions were disturbed at this time with the interplanetary magnetic field southward for a period of several hours. Magnetometers from the IMAGE network in Scandinavia showed evidence of a 2000 nT substorm. The GPS measurements are compared with all-sky camera (ASC) data to show that the signal fades can be attributed to the GPS ray paths crossing electron density structures associated with the aurora. The ASC images reveal moving auroral structures at the same time as the GPS signals show movement of the ionospheric regions causing fading. The results indicate that at high latitudes low-elevation GPS signals can suffer sudden fading due to E-region auroral events. This is the first time that a direct connection has been established between the loss of lock on a GPS receiver and diffractive fading caused by auroral precipitation.

Superposed epoch analysis of the ionospheric convection evolution during substorms: onset latitude dependence

Abstract: Using data from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) we investigate the ionospheric con- vection response to magnetospheric substorms. Substorms were identified using the Far Ultraviolet (FUV) instrument on board the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Ex- ploration (IMAGE) spacecraft, and were then binned accord- ing to the magnetic latitude of their onset. A superposed epoch analysis of the ionospheric convection patterns for each onset-latitude bin was then performed using radar data for the interval 60 min before onset to 90 min after. It is found that lower onset-latitude substorms are associated with generally more enhanced convection than the higher latitude substorms, although they suffer from a significant localised reduction of the flow in the midnight sector during the expan- sion phase. Higher-latitude substorms are associated with a significant and rapid increase in the nightside convection fol- lowing substorm onset, with all onset-latitude bins showing an enhancement over onset values by 60 min into the ex- pansion phase. A rudimentary inspection of the concurrent auroral evolution suggests that the duration of the flow reduc- tion following substorm onset is dependent on the strength and duration of the expansion phase aurora and its associated conductivity enhancement.

Wave dispersion and the discrete aurora: New constraints derived from high-speed imagery

Abstract: [1] An analysis of multiscale observations of a substorm auroral breakup are presented which clarify the role of wave dispersion in the formation of elemental (<100 m) auroral structure. At coarse resolution (all-sky white light camera, 1 frame/s), observations fit the established substorm morphology—namely, arc brightening, formation of spatial distortions, and breakup into multiple “rayed” structures. At fine-scale resolution (electron multiplying charge-coupled device [EMCCD] camera, 9-degree field of view, prompt emission filter, 30 frames/s), an entirely different type of coherence is observed. The “arc,” as identified at lower resolution, is observed to be a dynamic structure composed of bifurcating elemental arcs that propagate outward from the center of an “arc packet.” This dynamic process is well captured in time-brightness histories (keograms) along a cut bisecting the structure. The observations are interpreted with respect to theoretical predictions for inertial Alfven wave dispersion. Specifically, the arc packets are interpreted as the B⊥ projection of the parallel electric field within the Alfven resonant cone. Prebreakup observations are found to be qualitatively consistent with this model. However, some difficulties are encountered for the more active postbreakup period. The article includes a discussion of perspective considerations in interpreting small-scale auroral features; in particular, it is shown that the “rayed” appearance of discrete breakup aurora is, in fact, a consequence of sharply kinked sheets viewed obliquely.

Titan’s influence on Saturnian substorm occurrence

Abstract: [1] Substorms play an important role in the energization and transport of plasmas in planetary magnetospheres, including the shedding of the mass added by moons in the case of Jupiter and Saturn. Mass shedding occurs through rapid reconnection in the near tail resulting in dipolarization on the magnetospheric side of the reconnection point and plasmoid formation down tail. Observations of these sudden reconnection events in Saturn’s near-tail region provide additional insight into this process. Saturnian substorms, at least on occasion, have a plasmoid formation phase leading to a traveling compression region. Changes in the field strength across reconnection events suggest that open flux has been removed from the tail. The timing of tail reconnection events appears to be controlled by both the orbital phase of Titan, and the variable stretching of the near-tail field as Saturn rotates.

Inverse cascade feature in current disruption

Abstract: [1] We investigate the origin of waves leading to current disruption and dipolarization observed by a THEMIS satellite at XGSM ∼ −8 RE in the magnetotail near a substorm expansion onset on 29 January 2008. Continuous wavelet transform of the magnetic activity associated with current disruption shows a clear inverse cascade feature of waves starting at frequencies slightly below the ion cyclotron frequency to waves at low frequencies that correspond to the time scale of dipolarization. There was no other low-frequency wave associated with the time scale of dipolarization. On the basis of this inverse cascade feature, we provide a preliminary theoretical analysis to propose that the initial excited waves causing eventual dipolarization in this event may originate from the drift-driven electromagnetic ion cyclotron instability, which is an electromagnetic version of the Weibel instability, or an ordinary mode instability similarly driven by the cross-field ion drift.

Two‐dimensional observations of overshielding during a magnetic storm by the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) Hokkaido radar

Abstract: [1] Two-dimensional observations of ionospheric plasma flows possibly caused by overshielding are reported for the first time. The observations were made by the midlatitude Super Dual Auroral Radar Network Hokkaido radar in Japan during a major magnetic storm on 15 December 2006. The magnetosphere was exposed continuously to a southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) for several hours during the main phase of the storm. Immediately following the subsequent northward turning of the IMF, an antisunward plasma flow was observed for about 14 min in the predusk sector at magnetic latitudes of 50°–60°, reaching a maximum line-of-sight speed of 70–80 m/s. These features are consistent with a simulation of coupling between the ring current and the ionosphere associated with an overshielding condition. Within 1 h of the first observation, a similar antisunward flow was observed during a period of southward oriented IMF. However, the simulation cannot account for the antisunward flow in this case. It is suggested that the shielding/overshielding condition is not simply caused by the northward turning of IMF. This second overshielding-like condition is attributable to a sudden contraction of the polar cap associated with the substorm or to a sudden strengthening of the inertial current converted from the abrupt injection of magnetospheric ions. However, neither fully accounts for the observations.

Flattened current sheet and its evolution in substorms

Abstract: In this research, the properties of a tail current sheet, which has a flattened geometry, and its evolution during substorm activity have been investigated. The geometrical configuration of the magnetic field and the spatial distribution of the current density in a flattened current sheet have been revealed with certainty for the first time. It is found that such a flattened current sheet has sufficiently strong B-y (GSM) within its neutral sheet that the magnetic field lines (MFLs) in the neutral sheet are lie almost in the GSM equatorial plane and that the normal directions are generally northward. Detailed analyses show that, the magnetic field lines are spiral-like, not plane curves, which are left-handed or right-handed spirals for B-y > 0 or B-y < 0. This magnetic rotation occurs predominantly in the neutral sheet. The flattened current sheet may be very thin, and the thickness of the neutral sheet is much less than the minimum radius of the curvature of the MFLs in the current sheet. The analysis also suggests that the neutral sheet current is field-aligned and lies mainly duskward. The curvature current makes little contribution to the total current in the flattened current sheet. The main current carriers in the neutral sheet of the flattened current sheet are electrons. A statistical survey shows that there is one positive correlation between B-y in the flattened current sheet and IMF B-y and penetration efficiency is 0.67. Flattened current sheets may occur in both quiet and disturbed periods and may appear at all phases of the substorms. During the growth phase of a substorm event, the neutral sheet of the flattened current sheet is shown to become progressively thinner, while the associated current density is increasing gradually. It is found that the northern turning of the IMF has triggered the explosive growth phase at the end of the growth phase, which lasts several minutes. At the explosive growth phase, the flattened current sheet becomes much thinner and the current density in the neutral sheet then increases considerably and reaches a value larger than 0.017 mu Am-2. Just after the onset of the substorm, the current density in the neutral sheet drops abruptly and varies turbulently.

Ionospheric localisation and expansion of long‐period Pi1 pulsations at substorm onset

Abstract: [1] We examine the initial ionospheric localisation and expansion of Pi1 pulsations associated with a substorm onset observed on 1st November 2006 with the combined CARISMA and THEMIS GMAG network of ground-based magnetometers. We demonstrate how the first ionospheric pulsation disturbance lies in the long-period Pi1 band. The long-period Pi1 pulsations at substorm onset are initially localised in longitude, and expands away from an epicentre in the ionosphere, with ∼16 s timing between stations. We further establish a link between the location of the downward field-aligned current (FAC) element which subsequently develops within the substorm current wedge (SCW), and the initial location of the onset of long-period Pi1 pulsations. The arrival of the initial long-period Pi1 wavepacket demonstrates the importance of global networks of ground-based magnetometers for probing substorm onset. The Pi1 expansion proceeds westward at a rate of approximately 1 MLT hour per ∼20 seconds, representing a very rapid expansion of the Pi1 signal at the ground. The resolution of the Pi1 localisation and the rate of expansion suggest Pi1 waves can play an important role in studies of the causal sequence of energy release in substorms.

Influence of the Convection Electric Field Models on Predicted Plasmapause Positions During Magnetic Storms

Abstract: In the present work, we determine how three well documented models of the magnetospheric electric field, and two different mechanisms proposed for the formation of the plasmapause influence the radial distance, the shape and the evolution of the plasmapause during the geomagnetic storms of 28 October 2001 and of 17 April 2002. The convection electric field models considered are: McIlwain's E5D electric field model, Volland-Stern's model, and Weimer's statistical model compiled from low-Earth orbit satellite data. The mechanisms for the formation of the plasmapause to be tested are: (1) the MHD theory where the plasmapause should correspond to the last-closed-equipotential (LCE) or last-closed-streamline (LCS), if the E-field distribution is stationary or timedependent respectively; (2) the interchange mechanism where the plasmapause corresponds to streamlines tangent to a Zero-Parallel-Force surface where the field-aligned plasma distribution becomes convectively unstable during enhancements of the E-field intensity in the nightside local time sector. The results of the different time dependent simulations are compared with concomitant EUV/IMAGE observations when available. The plasmatails or plumes observed after both selected geomagnetic storms are predicted in all simulations and for all E-field models. However, their shapes are quite different depending on the E-field models and the mechanisms that are used. Despite the partial success of the simulations to reproduce plumes during magnetic storms and substorms, there remains a long way to go before the detailed structures observed in the EUV observations during periods of geomagnetic activity can be accounted for very precisely by the existing E-field models. Furthermore, it cannot be excluded that the mechanisms currently identified to explain the formation of "Carpenter's knee'' during substorm events, will have to be revised or complemented in the cases of geomagnetic storms.

Observations of an active thin current sheet

Abstract: We analyze observations of magnetotail current sheet dynamics during a substorm between 2330 and 2400 UT on 28 August 2005 when Cluster was in the plasma sheet at [-17.2, -4.49, 0.03] R-E (GSM) wit ...

Observed tail current systems associated with bursty bulk flows and auroral streamers during a period of multiple substorms

Abstract: We present a multi-instrument study of a sub- storm bursty bulk flow (BBF) and auroral streamer. During a substorm on 25 August 2003, which was one of a series of substorms that occurred between 00:00 and 05:00 UT, the Cluster spacecraft encountered a BBF event travelling Earth- wards and duskwards with a velocity of 500 km s 1 some nine minutes after the onset of the substorm. Coincident with this event the IMAGE spacecraft detected an auroral streamer in the substorm auroral bulge in the Southern Hemisphere near the footpoints of the Cluster spacecraft. Using FluxGate Magnetometer (FGM) data from the four Cluster spacecraft, we determine the field-aligned currents in the BBF, using the curlometer technique, to have been 5 mA km 2 . When pro- jected into the ionosphere, these currents give ionospheric field-aligned currents of 18 A km 2 , which is comparable with previously observed ionospheric field-aligned currents associated with BBFs and auroral streamers. The observa- tions of the BBF are consistent with the plasma "bubble" model of Chen and Wolf (1993). Furthermore, we show that the observations of the BBF are consistent with the creation of the BBF by the reconnection of open field lines Earthward of a substorm associated near-Earth neutral line.

Pc5 waves generated by substorm injection: a case study

Abstract: We analyzed the spectral-polarized characteristics of Pc5 ULF waves observed on 17 September 2000 after the 03:20:25 UT substorm onset with the satellites GOES 8 and 10 located east and west of the onset location. In the course of the event, the wave polarization changed from mixed (between toroidal and poloidal) to poloidal, and then to mixed again. The hodogram of magnetic field oscillations rotated counterclockwise at GOES 8, and clockwise at GOES 10. It is suggested that the satellites detected the waves generated by the substorm injected clouds of the charged particles drifting in the magnetosphere in the opposite azimuthal directions: GOES 8 (located east of the substorm onset) detected the wave generated by an electron cloud, and GOES 10 (west of the onset) detected the wave generated by a positive ion cloud. This interpretation is confirmed by the energetic particles data recorded by LANL satellites.

Energetic electron precipitation during substorm injection events: High-latitude fluxes and an unexpected midlatitude signature

Abstract: [1] Geosynchronous Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL-97A) satellite particle data, riometer data, and radio wave data recorded at high geomagnetic latitudes in the region south of Australia and New Zealand are used to perform the first complete modeling study of the effect of substorm electron precipitation fluxes on low-frequency radio wave propagation conditions associated with dispersionless substorm injection events. We find that the precipitated electron energy spectrum is consistent with an e-folding energy of 50 keV for energies <400 keV but also contains higher fluxes of electrons from 400 to 2000 keV. To reproduce the peak subionospheric radio wave absorption signatures seen at Casey (Australian Antarctic Division), and the peak riometer absorption observed at Macquarie Island, requires the precipitation of 50–90% of the peak fluxes observed by LANL-97A. Additionally, there is a concurrent and previously unreported substorm signature at L < 2.8, observed as a substorm-associated phase advance on radio waves propagating between Australia and New Zealand. Two mechanisms are discussed to explain the phase advances. We find that the most likely mechanism is the triggering of wave-induced electron precipitation caused by waves enhanced in the plasmasphere during the substorm and that either plasmaspheric hiss waves or electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves are a potential source capable of precipitating the type of high-energy electron spectrum required. However, the presence of these waves at such low L shells has not been confirmed in this study.

Determination of the substorm initiation region from a major conjunction interval of THEMIS satellites

Abstract: [1] We investigate in detail the time history of substorm disturbances in the magnetotail observed during a major tail conjunction of Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) satellites on 29 January 2008, 0700―0900 UT. During this interval, all THEMIS satellites were closely aligned along the tail axis near midnight and were bracketed in local time by GOES 11 and 12. The radial distance covered ranges from the geosynchronous altitude to ∼30 R E in the tail. This interval consists of three activations detected by the THEMIS satellites with good ground all-sky-camera observations of auroral activity. The first activation is a small substorm with spatially limited disturbance in the tail. The onset arc was equatorward of an undisturbed arc. The second activation is a moderate size substorm with the onset arc also being equatorward of an undisturbed arc. The third activation is an intensification of the substorm with its onset indicated by the second activation. The active auroral arc for this intensification was near the poleward boundary of the auroral oval. Analysis of these observations indicates that the first activation is a small substorm initiated in the near-Earth plasma sheet and does not involve magnetic reconnection of open magnetic field lines. Magnetic reconnection on closed field lines can be ruled out for this substorm because it cannot generate the observed high-speed plasma flow. The second and third activations are part of a moderate size substorm initiated also in the near-Earth plasma sheet, with a subsequent substorm intensification involving activity initiated tailward of ∼30 R E . Overall, the time history of substorm activity for these two substorms is consistent with the near-Earth initiation model.

Comparison of periodic substorms at Jupiter and Earth

Abstract: [1] The Energetic Particles Detector and magnetometer measurements on Galileo showed that the Jovian magnetosphere undergoes reconfiguration processes which are very similar to the characteristics of a terrestrial substorm. At Jupiter the reconfiguration process occurs quasi-periodically with a repetition period of several days. In the terrestrial magnetosphere periodic substorms have been observed during magnetic storms. The comparison of the periodic magnetospheric disturbances at Jupiter and Earth shows that they are similar in dynamic features as well as in spatial distribution but have different energy sources. In the case of Earth, the well-established energy source is the solar wind. In the case of the Jovian magnetosphere, it is believed that internal energy is supplied by the fast planetary rotation and the moon Io which releases ∼1000 kg s−1 of plasma into the magnetosphere. It is established that the energy accumulation and subsequent release lead to similar features in the magnetospheres of both planets. The particle data show periodic intensity fluctuations and plasma pressure variations. In addition, recurring signatures of stretching and dipolarization are observed in the magnetic field at the terrestrial and Jovian magnetospheres. Furthermore, the release process is associated with an intensification of auroral emissions. The typical phases for terrestrial substorms like growth, expansion and recovery are also found in the periodic substorms at Jupiter. As a lesson taken from the Jovian magnetosphere it is proposed that under certain conditions periodic magnetospheric substorms at Earth can be driven by mass-loading from the plasmasphere.

Near-Earth magnetic signature of magnetospheric substorms and an improved substorm current model

Abstract: Based on a comprehensive catalogue with more than 4000 magnetospheric substorm entries from the years 2000–2005, the spatial distribution of the substorm-related magnetic signatures at mid and low latitudes around local midnight was investigated. Superposed epoch analysis of a larger number of recent observatory data from mid and low latitudes revealed a field strength increase that is consistent with the results of earlier studies. For the first time, the magnetic signature of the substorm current wedge formation is studied also in near-Earth satellite data from CHAMP. The average maximal deflection measured on board the satellite is smaller by a factor of 2 than that determined from ground observations. The recurrence frequency of substorms as well as the amplitude of their magnetic signature depends strongly on the prevailing magnetic activity. The observed average substorm-related magnetic field signatures cannot be described adequately by a simple current wedge model. A satisfactory agreement between model results and observations at satellite height and on ground can be achieved only if the current reconfiguration scenario combines four elements: (1) the gradual decrease of the tail lobe field, (2) the re-routing of a part of the cross-tail current through the ionosphere, (3) eastward ionospheric currents at low and mid latitudes driven by Region-2 field-aligned currents, and (4) a partial ring current connected to these Region-2 FACs.

Multi-instrumentation observations of a transpolar arc in the northern hemisphere

Abstract: A transpolar arc was imaged by the FUV instru- ment on the IMAGE spacecraft during a 3-h interval on 5 February 2002. Observations indicate that a burst of recon- nection in the geomagnetic tail, which was not associated with a substorm, was responsible for the formation of the arc. The arc initially formed across the central polar cap, extend- ing from near midnight to noon such that the polar cap was approximately divided in half. The subsequent motion of the arc was controlled by the amount of open flux being added to the dawn sector cap from a magnetopause reconnection site on the post-noon side of the magnetosphere. The dayside re- connection happened during a period when the IMFBy com- ponent was dominant, although the Bz component initially remained positive, and resulted in strong westward azimuthal flows in the noon sector. The arc continued to move towards the duskside auroral oval after the IMF Bz turned southward. A keogram of the FUV/WIC auroral observations along the dawn-dusk meridian provides further evidence of the ex- pansion and contraction of the polar cap during the period in which different IMF orientations occurred. Furthermore, comparing images from IMAGE and ionospheric convection flow from SuperDARN measurements, vortical convection flows occurred exactly at the time and location of the forma- tion of the transpolar arc and subsequently followed the head of the transpolar arc as it moved across the polar cap. The observations are consistent with the prediction of a recent model for the formation of the transpolar cap by the closure of open flux in the geomagnetic tail, and its subsequent mo- tion through changes in the open flux distribution within the polar cap.

Balanced reconnection intervals: four case studies

Abstract: During steady magnetospheric convection (SMC) events the magnetosphere is active, yet there are no data sig- natures of a large scale reconfiguration, such as a substorm. While this definition has been used for years it fails to elu- cidate the true physics that is occurring within the magneto- sphere, which is that the dayside merging rate and the night- side reconnection rate balance. Thus, it is suggested that these events be renamed Balanced Reconnection Intervals (BRIs). This paper investigates four diverse BRI events that support the idea that new name for these events is needed. The 3-4 February 1998 event falls well into the classic defi- nition of an SMC set forth by Sergeev et al. (1996), while the other challenge some previous notions about SMCs. The 15 February 1998 event fails to end with a substorm expansion and concludes as the magnetospheric activity slowly quiets. The third event, 22-23 December 2000, begins with a slow build up of magnetospheric activity, thus there is no initiat- ing substorm expansion. The last event, 17 February 1998, is more active (larger AE, AL and cross polar cap potential) than previously studied SMCs. It also has more small scale activity than the other events studied here.

SAPS measurements around the magnetic equator by CRRES

Abstract: [1] Enhancements of convection electric fields during two substorms have been analyzed using CRRES satellite data measured in the premidnight inner magnetosphere. The electric field, related to subauroral polarization streams (SAPS), begins to increase within 30 sec after the substorm onset, indicating a quicker response of convection in the inner magnetosphere to substorms than has been reported (∼10 min) before. A prompt response of the ion pressure and the following decrease in the cold plasma density supports the fact that the electric field enhances just after the substorm onset and drives accelerations of energetic ions and plasmapause erosion. The SAPS electric field enhances between the earthward edges of the ring current and plasmasheet, and the plasmapause coincides with the earthward edge of the electron plasmasheet. The plasmapause location deviates from the stagnation point, and the SAPS electric field penetrates into the plasmasphere, driving a sunward plasma drift of the plasmaspheric plasma.

Near-Earth substorm features from multiple satellite observations

Abstract: We investigate a substorm on 3 October 2004 during which 11 satellites were located in near-Earth magnetotail (X-GSM > -10 R-E) Double Star 1 (TC-1), Cluster, and LANL-97 satellites were closely aligned in the dawn-dusk direction (<1 R-E apart) for this conjunction After substorm expansion onset, TC-1 observed plasma sheet thinning at X approximate to -55 RE and later detected signature of plasma flow shear that may be associated with an auroral arc Analysis of the dawn-dusk magnetic perturbations from GOES-10 and Polar suggests that these could be caused by a substorm current system consisting of not only the azimuthal closure of field-aligned currents (the substorm current wedge) but also the meridional closure of field-aligned currents The temporal sequence of substorm activity (particle injection, current disruption, and dipolarization) revealed by these satellites indicates that the substorm expansion activity was initiated close to the Earth and spread later to further downstream distances Furthermore, TC-1 and Cluster data show that there is no close relationship between some dipolarizations and Earthward plasma flows in the near-Earth region The overall development of substorm activity is in agreement with the near-Earth initiation model for substorms A temporal evolution of the magnetic field reconfiguration and plasma boundary motion during this substorm is constructed from these observations