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Rapid ray motions in barium plasma clouds and aurorasOn two evenings in 1968, anomalous field-aligned brightenings or emission enhancements of up to 3X were observed to move rapidly through three different Ba(+) clouds over Andoya, Norway. Similar effects were observed in Ba(+) clouds released from rockets launched from Poker Flat, Alaska, on March 21, 1973 and on March 22, 1980. On these occasions, auroras on or near the Ba(+) L shell also exhibited active rapid ray motions, which prompts the assumption that the two phenomena are related and the expectation that an explanation of the rapid ray motions in the Ba(+) clouds would lead to a better understanding of the physics of auroral ray motions and the auroral atmosphere. Seven possible mechanisms to produce the observed moving emission enhancements are discussed. The observations provide strong evidence for the existence of transient electric fields of order 100 mV/m at altitudes as low as 200 km during active aurora with rapid ray motions.
Document ID
19930046807
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Wescott, E. M.
(NASA Wallops Flight Facility Wallops Island, VA, United States)
Hallinan, T. J.
(NASA Wallops Flight Facility Wallops Island, VA, United States)
Stenbaek-Nielsen, H. C.
(NASA Wallops Flight Facility Wallops Island, VA, United States)
Swift, D. W.
(NASA Wallops Flight Facility Wallops Island, VA, United States)
Wallis, D. D.
(Alaska Univ. Fairbanks, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
March 1, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 98
Issue: A3
ISSN: 0148-0227
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
93A30804
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSR-02-001-025
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS5-21220
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG6-1
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSR-02-001-035
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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