We examine the Pc5 wave power latitudinal distribution in the morning sector along the conjugate magnetometer arrays in Greenland and Antarctica. These distributions are compared with the location of the auroral oval, reconstructed using the OVATION-prime model. This model makes it possible to reconstruct separately the spatial structures of diffuse and monoenergetic precipitation of auroral electrons. Mapping of the spectral power of narrowband Pc5 waves onto the auroral oval has shown that the wave power in the morning sector is localized inside the auroral oval, namely at the poleward edge of diffuse precipitation, but near the peak of monoenergetic precipitation. The case analysis results have been confirmed by a larger statistical study. This observational result confirms the effects earlier found in case studies: the spatial/temporal variations of Pc5 wave power are closely related to the location of the auroral electrojet and magnetospheric field-aligned currents. From the observed relationship between the wave power and the auroral boundaries, it may be concluded that the poleward edge of the diffuse precipitation, around the maximum of the monoenergetic precipitation, is preferred latitude of magnetospheric field-line resonance excitation. This effect is not taken into account by modern theories of ULF Pc5 waves.
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Climatology of the open–closed boundary using ULF wave observations from South Pole, McMurdo, and distributed Antarctic AGOs
It has been shown that a proxy determination of the magnetospheric open–closed magnetic field line boundary (OCB) location can be made by examining the ultra-low-frequency (ULF) wave power in magnetometer data, with particular interest in the Pc5 ULF waves with periods of 3–10 min. In this study, we present a climatology of such Pc5 ULF waves using ground-based magnetometer data from the South Pole Station (SPA), McMurdo (MCM) station, and the Automatic Geophysical Observatories (AGOs) located across the Antarctic continent, to infer OCB behavior and variability during geomagnetically quiet times (i.e., Ap < 30 nT). For each season [i.e., austral fall (20 February 2017–20 April 2017), austral winter (20 May 2017–20 July 2017), austral spring (20 August 2017–20 October 2017), and austral summer (20 November 2017–20 January 2018)], north–south (i.e., H-component) magnetic field line residual power–spectral density (PSD) measurements taken during geomagnetically quiet periods within a 60-day window centered at the austral solstice/equinox are averaged in 10-min temporal bins to form the climatology at each station. These residual PSDs thus enable the analysis of Pc5 activity (and lower period “long-band” oscillations) and, thus, OCB location/variability as a function of season and magnetic latitude. The dawn and dusk transitions across the OCB are analyzed, with a discussion of dawn and dusk variability during nominally quiet geomagnetic periods. In addition, latitudinal dependencies of the OCB and peak Pc5 periods at each station are discussed, along with the empirical Tsyganenko model comparisons to our site measurements.
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- PAR ID:
- 10565861
- Publisher / Repository:
- Frontiers
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences
- Volume:
- 11
- ISSN:
- 2296-987X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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