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Coordinated observation of the dayside magnetospheric entry and exit of the THEMIS satellites with ground-based auroral imaging in Antarctica
Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
Institute for Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
Department of Physics, Siena College, Loudonville, New York, USA
Data from the five-satellite Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) constellation suitably located to study solar wind magnetospheric coupling during the austral winter of 2007 were compared to data from ground-based all-sky imagers (ASIs) at South Pole (74° magnetic latitude) and at AGO-1 (80° magnetic latitude). The THEMIS constellation entered and exited the magnetosphere near magnetic midday on 10 and 12 August 2007, respectively. On 12 August interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) (B z > 0) the dayside aurora was located more poleward between AGO-1 and South Pole. The THEMIS satellites traversing the magnetopause saw it move in and out several times during the satellite crossings. The inward motion of the magnetopause was sometimes correlated with equatorward expansions of the aurora and sometimes with solar wind pressure pulses as seen by Geotail. The B z > 0 auroral latitude was consistent with dayside cusp “spot” seen by the IMAGE spacecraft and had been associated with footprints of “steady state” lobe reconnection. The aurora consisted of a continuous stream of poleward moving auroral forms (PMAF) even during a period of slightly B z > 0 and B y = 0. On 10 August 2007 IMF B z < 0 the dayside aurora was located more equatorward, over South Pole, and the THEMIS satellites crossed the bow shock from the magnetosheath into the solar wind. Negative B z pulses observed at the satellite were correlated with large poleward expansions of the dayside aurora consistent with reconnection in the subsolar region accompanied by simultaneous plasma density increases at THEMIS B satellite consistent with outward radial motion of the bow shock.
Received 14 June 2008; accepted 5 March 2009; published 5 June 2009.
Citation: (2009), Coordinated observation of the dayside magnetospheric entry and exit of the THEMIS satellites with ground-based auroral imaging in Antarctica, J. Geophys. Res., 114, A00C23, doi:10.1029/2008JA013496.
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