EarthRef.org Reference Database (ERR)
Development and Maintenance by the EarthRef.org Database Team

Detailed Reference Information
Sandholt et al. 1996
Sandholt, P.E., Farrugia, C.J., Øieroset, M., Stauning, P. and Cowley, S.W.H. (1996). Auroral signature of lobe reconnection. Geophysical Research Letters 23: doi: 10.1029/96GL01846. issn: 0094-8276.

We report specific changes in the dayside auroral morphology in the winter hemisphere which occur in response to sharp transitions between northward and southward-directed interplanetary magnetic fields (IMF). In two case examples we show how a switch between large negative and large positive IMF Bz component was accompanied by a corresponding switch in the location of the 630.0 nm aurora: the cusp aurora situated at ≈74¿ MLAT disappeared and another form this time situated at ≈77--78¿ MLAT appeared simultaneously (within 1 min.). We suggest that the lower- and higher-latitude auroras correspond to injections of magnetosheath plasma associated with, respectively, magnetic reconnection at low and high magnetopause latitudes. They may be called cusp/LLBL and cusp/mantle auroras, respectively. According to this interpretation the cusp/mantle aurora thus corresponds to reconnection tailward of the cusp, the so-called lobe reconnection. The auroral signature is observed to last for a few tens of minutes, indicating that lobe reconnection can occur in a quasi-steady mode. During the 17 December 1992 case event sunward plasma convection in the polar cap was inferred from magnetometer records obtained during the period when the high-latitude aurora occurred. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1996

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Magnetopause, cusp, and boundary layers, Magnetospheric Physics, Solar wind/magnetosphere interactions
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
2000 Florida Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009-1277
USA
1-202-462-6900
1-202-328-0566
service@agu.org
Click to clear formClick to return to previous pageClick to submit