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Sakanoi & Fukunishi 2004
Sakanoi, K. and Fukunishi, H. (2004). Temporal and spatial structures of flickering aurora derived from high-speed imaging photometer observations at Syowa Station in the Antarctic. Journal of Geophysical Research 109: doi: 10.1029/2003JA010081. issn: 0148-0227.

In order to investigate the generation mechanisms of flickering aurora, especially the physical processes producing its temporal and spatial structures, an advanced optical observation system called a high-speed imaging photometer system was developed by Tohoku University in 1997. The high-speed imaging photometer system consists of two sets of imaging photometer, which are used for measurements of the N2+ first negative emission (427.8 nm) and N2 first positive emission (~660 nm) independently. Observations were carried out at Syowa Station (69.00¿ S, 39.58¿ E, -66.2¿ MLAT) in the Antarctic from April 24, 1998 to September 26, 1998. Dynamic spectra at two different wavelengths and clear temporal and spatial structures of flickering aurora at 427.8 nm are derived from these high-speed imaging photometer data. The most important result in this study is that flickering auroral columns (or spots) remain in almost the same location during their lifetime and that these columns (or spots) do not propagate across the magnetic field lines. It is suggested that interference of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves or inertial Alfv¿n waves (IAW) in the auroral acceleration region produce the observed characteristics of flickering aurora.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Magnetospheric Physics, Auroral phenomena, Magnetospheric Physics, Instruments and techniques, Electromagnetics, Optics, Space Plasma Physics, Wave/particle interactions, flickering aurora, imaging photometer, aurora emission, field-aligned electron bursts, electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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