An electrostatic analyzer, a Lepedea, was employed on the low-altitude satellite Ariel 4 in order to gain pitch angle distributions of electron intensities with good temporal resolution within the energy range 205 eV to 12.5 keV over the day side auroral oval. Two major precipitation zones were encountered: an equatorward zone of broad spectra with intensities of ~104 el (cm2 s sr eV)-1 and a poleward zone, the polar cusp, with intensities typical of those of the magnetosheath. Angular distributions within the equatorward zone are generally isotropic outside of the atmospheric backscatter cone. The precipitation mechanism would appear to be pitch angle scattering near the distant magnetic equator. In contrast, pitch angle distributions within the polar cusp are often found to be strongly field aligned with intensities within the atmospheric loss cone greater by factors of ~10 than the mirroring intensities. These angular distributions within the day side polar cusp are qualitatively similar to those for the inverted V precipitation events at later times and probably share a common accelaration mechanism with the inverted V phenomenon. |