ICS-6 Short Abstracts

Abstract Profile:

Paper#: 131

Poster #: 26

Session Name: Poster Session 1

Room: East Ballroom

Day: Tuesday

Time: 10:10 a.m.-Noon

Abstract Title: Auroral Substorm Dynamics and Field Line Resonances

PresentSurname: J. Wanliss

All Authors: J. Wanliss, R. Rankin

Abstract : Oscillating auroral phenomenon are frequently associated with magnetospheric substorms. In this letter we present an analysis of photometer data which displays oscillations in luminosity. We use data from the Gillam station in the CANOPUS array for April 1, 2001. Clear pulsations are observed at 2.2 and 2.6 mHz. The latitudinal distribution of the pulsations indicates that the luminosity variations, caused by precipitating electrons and protons, are modulated by large scale global compressional modes (field line resonances). The proton and electron aurora were found to oscillate essentially out of phase. As well, the variation of phase across the peak in the luminosity resonance follows the pattern expected for the coupling of resonant Alfven modes by normal compressional modes in the magnetotail.