Scenario for the formation of vortexlike structures in a presubstorm arc, taking into account changes in the arc height during its evolution

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Abstract

Activity in a prebreakup auroral arc in the form of vortexlike structures, the appearance/disappearance of which is preceded by an increase/decrease in the brightness of the arc, was studied in the context of a magnetospheric substorm, large-scale ionospheric convection, the situation in the interplanetary medium, and triangulation measurements of the arc height. The structures are observed in the premidnight hours and represent a superposition of two auroral forms: a large-scale bend in the arc that outlines the polar boundary of the diffuse auroras and smaller luminous tongues of luminosity (mini-torches) elongated along the convection on the western slope of the bends. The structures as a whole move against convection, towards substorm activity to the east of the observation area. We attribute the appearance of structures to the propagation of a disturbance deep into the magnetosphere, generated as a result of interaction of the magnetopause with a solar wind inhomogeneity, on the front of which Bz turns southward. The results of triangulation measurements show that the increase in brightness in the prebreakup arc shortly before the appearance of vortexlike structures is accompanied by a decrease in the height of the lower edge of the arc, which we explain by the appearance of a parallel electric field above the arc, which accelerates the precipitating electrons. The role of such a field in the formation of the torchlike structures is discussed in the framework of the interchange instability of the pole boundary of diffuse auroras.

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About the authors

V. V. Safargaleev

Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radio Wave Propagation, Russian Academy of Sciences; Polar Geophysical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: Vladimir.safargaleev@pgia.ru

St. Petersburg Department

Russian Federation, St. Petersburg; Murmansk region, Apatity

T. I. Sergienko

Swedish Institute of Space Physics

Email: Vladimir.safargaleev@pgia.ru
Sweden, Kiruna

A. L. Kotikov

Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radio Wave Propagation, Russian Academy of Sciences; Geophysical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: Vladimir.safargaleev@pgia.ru

St. Petersburg Department

Russian Federation, St. Petersburg; Moscow

A. V. Safargaleev

LSR Management Company

Email: Vladimir.safargaleev@pgia.ru
Russian Federation, St. Petersburg

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2. Fig. 1. Interval of observation of luminosity waves in the pre-substorm arc (highlighted in gray) in the context of substorm activity: (a) - magnetic disturbances in the region including the region of optical observations. Long white, black, and gray arrows mark the onset of substorms in AMD, SOR, and BJN, respectively. The moments of brightening of the pre-substorm arc and the appearance of vortex-like structures on it are designated T0 and T1, respectively; (b) - keogram and a series of frames demonstrating the evolution of auroras over KRN. The pre-substorm arc drifting toward the equator is shown by a short white arrow. The short black arrow indicates the bend of the diffuse arc boundary along which the height was selected.

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3. Fig. 2. Localization of Pc5 pulsation along the meridian (a). The interval under study is highlighted in gray; the original frame (top panel) and its projection to an altitude of 105 km (bottom panel) at the time point marked on the PEL magnetogram with a black arrow (b). The positions of the KRN camera and magnetic stations are shown by circles and squares, respectively. The arc segment marks the approximate position of the equatorial boundary of the region occupied by diffuse auroras.

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4. Fig. 3. Features of auroral vortices: (a) - passage of vortices through the field of view of the camera from west to east, vertical arrows with the same numbers show the position of the corresponding structure before and after its passage through the zenith of KRN; (b) - fine structure of auroral vortices at an altitude of 105 km, the white horizontal arrow shows the direction of movement of the vortices, the black arrow shows the direction of convection.

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5. Fig. 4. Direction of ionospheric convection according to SuperDARN data in the area of optical observations (shown in a circle) before the event under consideration (a); model calculations of convection before, during and after the event under consideration (b). The segments indicate the magnitude and direction of the plasma velocity.

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6. Fig. 5. Position of the THC and GEOTAIL satellites (a). The straight line segment with an arrow shows the orientation and direction of motion of the solar wind inhomogeneity front; variations of the IMF Bz component on two satellites (b).

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7. Fig. 6. Variations in the flux and energy of electrons, as well as the magnetic field on the GEOTAIL satellite, caused by the passage through the satellite of a wave disturbance generated by the solar wind inhomogeneity front with a periodic variation of the IMF Bz component (top panel).

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8. Fig. 7. The height of the pre-substorm arc in the process of its evolution: (a) - illustration of the stages of selecting the height of the glow due to the best alignment of the distinct polar edge of the arc with the area of condensation of isolines; (b) is the result of selecting the height of the bend on the blurred polar edge of the arc (shown by the black arrow here and in Fig. 1c) shortly before the intensification of the glow and the appearance of auroral vortices. The auroras over KRN are presented in pseudocolor; the distribution of the glow intensity in the TJA frame is conveyed by isolines.

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9. Fig. 8. Luminosity weakening in the pre-substorm arc according to KRN camera data (a); results of triangulation measurements of the height of the pre-substorm arc before and after the weakening of luminosity (b).

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