Stationary auroral current oscillations resulting from the magnetospheric generator

The origin of the steady state spatial current oscillations in the auroral field-aligned currents, which was detected in the measurements by the two Dynamics Explorer (DE) satellites DE 1 and DE 2, is explained in the framework of a simple steady state model of the magnetosphere-ionosphere current system. The model has only three parameters, including the magnetic-field-aligned conductivity, the ionospheric height-integrated Pedersen conductivity, and the conductivity of a generator or dynamo at the magnetospheric equator. Good agreement between this model and the measurements from the DE satellites was obtained.