Magnetospheric dynamics under northward IMF conditions surveyed by
concurrent observations of TPA and aurora spirals (Original Title:
Magnetospheric dynamics under northward IMF conditions surveyed by
concurrent observations of TPA and omega-band aurora)
Abstract
Nightside magnetospheric processes (dynamics) directly reflect to
auroral morphology and type. By investing type of auroras and the
auroral morphological changes, we can expect to understand what physical
processes would take place in the magnetotail. Under northward
Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) conditions, transpolar arcs (TPAs)
and aurora spiral can be observed. A source of TPA is considered as
field-aligned currents induced by the plasma flow shear (including the
plasma flow vortices) between the fast plasma flows generated by
magnetotail magnetic reconnection and slower background magnetospheric
plasma flows. On the other hand, it is well-known that aurora spiral is
also likely to be formed by the field-aligned current induced by the
flow shear in the magnetotail, such as the Kelvin-Helmholtz
instabilities. Based on the contemporaneous observations of TPA and
aurora spiral, we try to investigate (diagnose) how the plasma and its
energy are transported in the nightside magnetosphere toward ionosphere
under northward IMF conditions. On January 10th, 1997, transpolar arc
(TPA) and aurora spiral contemporaneously occurred for about 5.5 hours
between 17:58 UT and 22:23 UT even when Interplanetary Magnetic Field
(IMF) orientation changed from weakly southward to northward at
~21:00 UT. Because no in-situ magnetotail observations
were unfortunately found in this day, we performed global MHD
simulations based on the Open Geospace General Circulation Model (Open
GGCM) distributed in the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC),
and discussed the physical relation between two different auroral
appearances and nightside magnetospheric processes. In this simulation,
after the IMF-Bz orientation turned from weakly southward to northward,
clear flow shear between fast earthward plasma flows triggered by
magnetotail reconnection and slower tailward background magnetospheric
flows was seen around Xgsm ~ -40 Re in the dawn sector,
being consistent with the TPA and aurora spiral brightening. These flow
shears may be a “source” of field-aligned currents to form the TPA.
Furthermore, they bifurcated toward dawn and dusk, and showed stronger
vortices in the dusk region than those in the dawnward sector. These
vortex(-like) structures, bifurcated duskward, and associated
field-aligned currents would be linked to the formation of the aurora
spiral. In this presentation, we will discuss further the relation
between the variations of these flow shear (vortex) structures, TPA and
aurora spiral formations under northward IMF conditions, followed by
weak southward IMF intervals.