Field‐Aligned Currents Associated With Pulsating Auroral Patches: Observation With Magneto‐Impedance Magnetometer (MIM) Onboard Loss Through Auroral Microburst Pulsations (LAMP) Sounding Rocket
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: We made observations of magnetic field variations in association with pulsating auroras with the magneto‐impedance sensor magnetometer (MIM) carried by the Loss through Auroral Microburst Pulsations (LAMP) sounding rocket that was launched at 11:27:30 UT on 5 March 2022 from Poker Flat Research Range, Alaska. At an altitude of 200–250 km, MIM detected clear enhancements of the magnetic field by 15–25 nT in both the northward and westward components. From simultaneous observations with the ground all‐sky camera, we found that the footprint of LAMP at the 100 km altitude was located near the center of a pulsating auroral patch. The auroral patch had a dimension of ∼90 km in latitude and ∼25 km in longitude, and its major axis was inclined toward northwest. These observations were compared with results of a simple model calculation, in which local electron precipitation into the thin‐layer ionosphere causes an elliptical auroral patch. The conductivity within the patch is enhanced in the background electric field and as a result, the magnetic field variations are induced around the auroral patch. The model calculation results can explain the MIM observations if the electric field points toward southeast and one of the model parameters is adjusted. We conclude that the pulsating auroral patch in this event was associated with a one‐pair field‐aligned current that consists of downward (upward) currents at the poleward (equatorward) edge of the patch. This current structure is maintained even if the auroral patch is latitudinally elongated.
DOI: 10.1029/2023ja032232
Authors: Masahito Nosé, Keisuke Hosokawa, Reiko Nomura, Mariko Teramoto, Kazushi Asamura, Yoshizumi Miyoshi, Takefumi Mitani, Takeshi Sakanoi, Taku Namekawa, Takeshi Kawano, Yoshihiro Iwanaga, Shunichi Tatematsu, Masafumi Hirahara, Alexa Halford, Mykhaylo Shumko, Marc R. Lessard, Kristina Lynch, Nicholaos Paschalidis, Allison N. Jaynes, Matthew G. McHarg
Institutions: Nagoya City University, Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya University, University of Electro-Communications, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Kyushu Institute of Technology, Tohoku University, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Aichi Steel Corporation (Japan), Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Maryland, College Park, University of New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, University of Iowa, United States Air Force Academy
Language: English
Subfield: Space and Planetary Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Awards: Search for EDM in ultracold molecule using laser photoassociation, Spatiotemporal variations of electron precipitation from Geospace as revealed by international joint observations using optical and radio techniques, The geomagnetic pulsation index derived from the magnetic field data observed by the geospace satellites., Experiment of geomagnetic field observation by magneto-impedance sensor and study for possibility of deployment of dense magnetometer network, Study of dynamical variation of particles and waves in the inner magnetosphere using ground-based network observations, Investigation on characteristics of aurora precipitating electrons by comprehensive space and ground-based observations and numerical experiments in Scandinavia, THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE LOSS THROUGH AURORAL MICROBURST PULSATIONS (LAMP) SOUNDING ROCKET MISSION IS TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF HOW AURORAL MICROBURSTS ARE RELATED SPATIALLY AND TEMPORALLY TO OPTICAL SIGNATURES OF PULSATING AURORA. TO ACHIEVE THIS THE LAMP PAYLOAD WILL TRANSIT A REGION OF PULSATING AURORA OUTFITTED WITH INSTRUMENTS THAT PROVIDE A HIGH CADENCE OF FUNDAMENTAL OBSERVATIONS TO QUANTITATIVELY CHARACTERIZE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MICROBURSTS AND PULSATING AURORA. THE MISSION WILL BE LED BY DR. SARAH JONES (GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER) AND FLY IN AN FY20 LAUNCH FROM POKER FLAT RESEARCH RANGE (PFRR WINTER OF 2019/20)., THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF THE LOSS THROUGH AURORAL MICROBURST PULSATIONS (LAMP) SOUNDING ROCKET MISSION IS TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF HOW AURORAL MICROBURSTS ARE RELATED SPATIALLY AND TEMPORALLY TO OPTICAL SIGNATURES OF PULSATING AURORA. TO ACHIEVE THIS THE LAMP PAYLOAD WILL TRANSIT A REGION OF PULSATING AURORA OUTFITTED WITH INSTRUMENTS THAT PROVIDE A HIGH CADENCE OF FUNDAMENTAL OBSERVATIONS TO QUANTITATIVELY CHARACTERIZE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MICROBURSTS AND PULSATING AURORA. THE MISSION WILL BE LED BY DR. SARAH JONES (GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER) AND FLY IN AN FY20 LAUNCH FROM POKER FLAT RESEARCH RANGE (PFRR WINTER OF 2019/20). SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE LAMP MISSION INCLUDE THREE DETAILED OBJECTIVES: OBJECTIVE 1A) WHAT IS THE OPTICAL SIGNATURE OF AURORAL MICROBURST PRECIPITATION AND WHAT IS ITS SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION WITH RESPECT TO PULSATING AURORA? OBJECTIVE 1B) DOES AURORAL MICROBURST PRECIPITATION (SPECIFICALLY MICROBURST TRAINS ) ACCOUNT FOR THE HIGH FREQUENCY MODULATIONS TYPICALLY SUPERIMPOSED ON THE PULSATING AURORA I.E. HOW ARE THOSE STRUCTURES RELATED TEMPORALLY? OBJECTIVE 1C) IS THERE A HIGH ENERGY TAIL COMPONENT OF THE AURORAL MICROBURST ELECTRON DISTRIBUTION WITH ENERGY GREATER THAN 100 KEV I.E. ARE BOTH AURORAL MICROBURSTS AND RELATIVISTIC MICROBURSTS RELATED TO PULSATING PATCHES?, G2869021060, Study of microburst electron precipitations during pulsating aurorae by a sounding rocket, ディフューズオーロラ現象が放射線帯高エネルギー電子降下に与える影響の解明, 不均一場を伝搬する電磁波による電子降り込み時空間発展の観測/モデル実証研究, Study of ion composition in the lunar plasma environment by using Gateway/HERMES, Ab-initio analysis on auroral structure formation, dynamics, and particle acceleration, 4D sensing of polar atmosphere: space/atmosphere coupling through meso-scale auroral phenomena, Study of transport and distribution of O+ ions in geospace by multi-satellite observation and numerical simulation, THE LOSS THROUGH AURORAL MICROBURST PULSATIONS (LAMP) MISSION SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF MICROBURSTS IN PULSATING AURORA AND TO MEASURE IONOSPHERIC EECTS OF MICROBURST PRECIPITATION. MICROBURSTS ARE KNOWN TO PLAY A POTENTIALLY MAJOR ROLE IN THE DEPLETION OF ELECTRONS FROM EARTH S RADIATION BELTS BUT ARE ALSO HIGHLY CORRELATED WITH PULSATING AURORA PERHAPS THE MOST UBIQUITOUS TYPE OF AURORA ON EARTH. OUR CURRENT LACK OF UNDERSTANDING HOW THIS COUPLING WORKS CONSTITUTES A MAJOR VOID IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF MAGNETOSPHEREIONOSPHERE COUPLING. SPECIFIC MISSION OBJECTIVES ARE ENUMERATED IN SECTION 2.4 ABOVE. BRIEFLY LAMP WILL CHARACTERIZE THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF MICROBURSTS WITH RESPECT TO PULSATING PATCHES INCLUDING MEASUREMENTS OF SCALE SIZES AND TEMPORAL VARIABILITY AS WELL AS DETERMINE THE PRECIPITATING ELECTRON ENERGY DISTRIBUTION AND MEASURE IONOSPHERIC ECTS ASSOCIATED WITH MICROBURST PRECIPITATION. THE LAMP MISSION COINCIDES WITH THE JAPANESE ARASE SATELLITE MAKING LAMP A VERY TIMELY MISSION. WHILE A PERFECT CONJUNCTION BETWEEN THESE SPACECRAFT CANNOT BE ASSURED WE CAN REASONABLY EXPECT THAT LAMP WILL PROVIDE DETAILED OBSERVATIONS OF MICROBURST PRECIPITATION OVER PULSATING AURORA WHILE THE ARASE SATELLITE WILL PROVIDE COMPLEMENTARY OBSERVATIONS NEAR THE EQUATORIAL REGION. IT IS THIS POSSIBILITY THAT MOTIVATES THE MAJOR JAPANESE CONTRIBUTION TO LAMP. LAMP WILL MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION OF PRECIPITATION TO EARTH S ATMOSPHERE IN THE FORM OF PULSATING AURORA AND AURORAL MICROBURSTS. LAMP DIRECTLY ADDRESSES THE STATED NASA HELIOPHYSICS GOAL TO UNDERSTAND THE COUPLING OF THE EARTH S MAGNETOSPHERE-IONOSPHERE-ATMOSPHERE SYSTEM . DETAILED COMPREHENSIVE MEASUREMENTS OF THESE PROCESSES DIRECTLY WITHIN THE RELEVANT REGION ARE CRITICAL TO MAKING ADVANCEMENTS ON THIS TOPIC; LAMP WILL PROVIDE THESE OBSERVATIONS AND BRING CLOSURE TO OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS IN THE FIELD OF AURORAL PHYSICS., Study of latitudinal coupling of upper atmospheric variations based on multi-point ground network observations, International joint research of geospace variability by combining multi-point ground and satellite observations and modeling, Development of a rubric bank and its utilization infrastructure to foster open and diverse academic research activities, 極域熱圏加熱の起源の解明：光と電波を用いた統合高解像度イメージング観測, Study of the fastest aurora variations by high-seed observations
OpenAlex ID: W4399213435