HR: 14:10h
AN: SM22C-03    [PDF]
TI: Alfven Wave Aurora on the Polar cap Boundary:FAST/Cluster Observations
AU: * Chaston, C C
EM: ccc@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 United States
AU: Carlson, C
EM: cwc@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 United States
AU: Peticolas, L
EM: lmp@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 United States
AU: Bonnell, J
EM: jbonnell@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 United States
AU: McFadden, J
EM: mcfadden@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 United States
AU: Ergun, R
EM: ree@lasp.boulder.edu
AF: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303 United States
AU: Strangeway, R
EM: strange@igpp.ucla.edu
AF: Institute for geophysical and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 United States
AU: Team, C
EM: cluster@space.org
AF: Cluster team Sites, European Space Agency, Several, MANY
AB: Aurora on the open/closed field line boundary on the poleward edge of the auroral oval are powered by dispersive Alfven waves. By the use of observations from the FAST and Cluster spacecraft when in magnetic conjunction we identify these waves at different points along the same fieldline. The dispersive nature of the waves at each altitude is tested against existing theories for wave dispersion where finite electron inertia and finite gyro-radii become important. The multipoint observations enable a direct comparison of the electron energy flux and wave Poynting observed at each spacecraft to determine the altitude where most of the observed electron energisation occurs and how much of the initial wave energy is dissipated through electron acceleration. Observations from Cluster also allow us to identify a possible source for these waves.
DE: 2451 Particle acceleration
DE: 2704 Auroral phenomena (2407)
DE: 2716 Energetic particles, precipitating
DE: 2731 Magnetosphere--outer
DE: 2752 MHD waves and instabilities
SC: SPA - Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting