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Observations of ionosphere/magnetosphere interactions from the Dynamics Explorer satellitesThe Dynamics Explorer program was a dual spacecraft mission designed to study the interactions between the upper atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere. The global auroral images acquired from the high altitude spacecraft have provided a revolutionary new time-dependent frame of reference for the interpretation of data acquired in situ. Using data especially from the low altitude spacecraft, interrelationships are developed between the various electrodynamic parameters measured. Ionospheric irregularities are found to be especially intense in regions of electric field convection shears, which are closely related to the dusk hemisphere field-aligned currents. These region 1 currents are spatially connected to the boundary plasma sheet electron precipitation. At all local times, there appears to be a universal relationship between regions where div E is less than 0 and electron precipitation structures. Depending upon the characteristics of the electrons bombarding the atmosphere, the atmosphere will radiate various spectral optical emissions, which can be imaged from high above the polar caps, with temporal resolution sufficient to follow the time-dependent evolution of a substorm. It is concluded that with further detailed analyses of the electrodynamic parameters obtained from in situ measurements, analyses of auroral images will yield specific information on many of the important ionospheric parameters over an entire auroral oval and polar cap, including regions of intense ionospheric irregularities.
Document ID
19900002060
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Hoffman, R. A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 14, 2013
Publication Date
April 1, 1989
Publication Information
Publication: AGARD, Ionospheric Structure and Variability on a Global Scale and Interactions with Atmosphere and Magnetosphere
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
90N11376
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
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