Version 1
: Received: 31 October 2024 / Approved: 31 October 2024 / Online: 1 November 2024 (05:08:28 CET)
How to cite:
Horvath, I.; Lovell, B. C. Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Conjugate Harang Discontinuity and Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) Phenomena Observed by Multipoint Satellites. Preprints2024, 2024102579. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.2579.v1
Horvath, I.; Lovell, B. C. Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Conjugate Harang Discontinuity and Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) Phenomena Observed by Multipoint Satellites. Preprints 2024, 2024102579. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.2579.v1
Horvath, I.; Lovell, B. C. Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Conjugate Harang Discontinuity and Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) Phenomena Observed by Multipoint Satellites. Preprints2024, 2024102579. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.2579.v1
APA Style
Horvath, I., & Lovell, B. C. (2024). Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Conjugate Harang Discontinuity and Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) Phenomena Observed by Multipoint Satellites. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.2579.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Horvath, I. and Brian C. Lovell. 2024 "Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Conjugate Harang Discontinuity and Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) Phenomena Observed by Multipoint Satellites" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.2579.v1
Abstract
It is well understood that near midnight, the Harang Discontinuity separates the auroral duskside eastward electrojet (EEJ) and dawnside westward electrojet (WEJ) and associated plasma flows driven by enhanced magnetospheric convections via Magnetosphere-Ionosphere (M-I) coupling. There are conflicting reports regarding the significance of Region1 (R1) and R2 currents and the enhancement of Sub-Auroral Polarization Streams (SAPS) in the Harang region. We investigate the M-I conjugate Harang and SAPS phenomena using multipoint satellite observations. Results show the inner-magnetosphere (1) Harang region at midnight between the plasmapause and the closed/open field line boundary and (2) strong SAPS electric field (EX≈30 mV/m; in magnitude) in a fast-time voltage generator (VGFT) near the plasmapause, and the topside-ionosphere (3) Harang Discontinuity with R1 and R2 currents flown along, and (4) enhanced SAPS flow (~1,800 m/s) in the underlying VGFT system requiring no R2 currents. From these (1-4) findings we conclude (i) the significance of both R1 and R2 currents in the observed M-I conjugate Harang phenomenon’s development, (ii) the different development of the reversing EEJ-WEJ compared to the regular auroral EEJ and WEJ in the topside-ionosphere R1-R2 system, and (iii) the R2 currents’ absence in the enhanced SAPS flow newly formed in the VGFT system.
Keywords
plasmasphere; upper atmosphere; ionosphere; magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling; energy and particle transport; hot zone; Harang Discontinuity; SAPS; plasmapause; SAR arc
Subject
Physical Sciences, Space Science
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
