Filamentary field-aligned currents at the polar cap region during northward interplanetary magnetic field derived with the Swarm constellation

ESA's Swarm constellation mission makes it possible for the first time to determine field-aligned currents (FACs) in the ionosphere uniquely. In particular at high latitudes, the dual-satellite approach can reliably detect some FAC structures which are missed by the traditional single-satellite...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAnnales geophysicae (1988) Vol. 34; no. 10; pp. 901 - 915
Main Authors Lühr, Hermann, Huang, Tao, Wing, Simon, Kervalishvili, Guram, Rauberg, Jan, Korth, Haje
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Germany Copernicus GmbH 24.10.2016
Copernicus Publications
Subjects
Alignment
Auroral arcs
Auroral oval
Defense programs
DMSP satellites
Estimates
Field aligned currents
Ice caps
Interplanetary magnetic field
Ionosphere
Magnetic field
Magnetic fields
Magnetosphere
Meteorological satellite program
Meteorological satellites
Orientation
Polar caps
Polar regions
Precipitation
Satellite imagery
Satellites
Spectrograms
Structures
Surveying
Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
auroral phenomena
Magnetospheric physics
current systems
energetic particles precipitating
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Summary:ESA's Swarm constellation mission makes it possible for the first time to determine field-aligned currents (FACs) in the ionosphere uniquely. In particular at high latitudes, the dual-satellite approach can reliably detect some FAC structures which are missed by the traditional single-satellite technique. These FAC events occur preferentially poleward of the auroral oval and during times of northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation. Most events appear on the nightside. They are not related to the typical FAC structures poleward of the cusp, commonly termed NBZ. Simultaneously observed precipitating particle spectrograms and auroral images from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites are consistent with the detected FACs and indicate that they occur on closed field lines mostly adjacent to the auroral oval. We suggest that the FACs are associated with Sun-aligned filamentary auroral arcs. Here we introduce in an initial study features of the high-latitude FAC structures which have been observed during the early phase of the Swarm mission. A more systematic survey over longer times is required to fully characterize the so far undetected field aligned currents.
ISSN:0992-7689
1432-0576
1432-0576
DOI:10.5194/angeo-34-901-2016