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Moen et al. 1994
Moen, J., Sandholt, P.E., Lockwood, M., Egeland, A. and Fukui, K. (1994). Multiple, discrete arcs on sunward convecting field lines in the 14-15 MLT region. Journal of Geophysical Research 99: doi: 10.1029/93JA03344. issn: 0148-0227.

Ionospheric plasma flow measurements and simultaneous observations of thin (~0.2¿ invariant latitude (ILAT)), multiple, longitudinally extended auroral arcs of transient nature within 74¿--76¿ ILAT and 1030--1130 UT (~14--15 MLT) on January 12, 1989, are reported. The auroral structures appeared within the luminous belt of strong 630.0-nm emissions located predominantly on sunward convecting field lines equatorward of the convection reversal boundary as identified by the European Incoherent Scatter UHF radar. The events occurred during a period of several hours quasi-steady solar wind speed (~700 km s-1) and a radially orientated interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) with a weak northward tilt (IMF Bz>0). These typical dayside auroral features are related to previous studies of auroral activity related to the upward region 1 current in the postnoon sector. The discrete auroral events presented here may result from magnetosheath plasma injections into the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL) and an associated dynamo mechanism. An alternative explanation invokes kinetic Alfv¿n waves, triggered either by Kelvin-Helmholtz instability at the inner (or outer) edge of the LLBL or by pressure pulse induced magnetopause surface waves. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1994

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Auroral phenomena, Ionosphere, Auroral ionosphere, Ionosphere, Plasma convection
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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