NOTE ON THE DIRECTION OF HIGH AURORAL ARCS,
Abstract
The relationships between geomagnetic micropulsations and pulsations in auroral luminosity are considered. Several features of these are found to be compatible with the concept of drainage of trapped radiation in the region of the outer Van Allen radiation belt in the Western Hemisphere. Certain homogeneous auroral arcs noted by Stormer at height 200 km in central Norway have a mirror point for trapped particles computed to be below ground level in the south Indian Ocean, a region likely to need surveys of the earth's main field. The magnetic field gradients near the night time electrojets near the northern and southern auroral zones will change the sign of drift of auroral particles, so that electrons spiralling up or down the geomagnetic field lines may drift westward in some regions and eastward in others. The gradients of the transient electrojet fields may help in explaining many of the complex features of auroral forms, when aurora are formed by incoming charged particles. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 04, 1960
- Accession Number
- AD0616592
Entities
People
- E. H. Vestine
Organizations
- RAND Corporation