scholarly journals Multi-site observations of the association between aurora and plasma convection in the cusp/polar cap during a southeastward(<i>B<sub>y</sub></i> <u>~</u> |<i>B<sub>z</sub></i>|) IMF orientation

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 539-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. E. Sandholt ◽  
J. Moen ◽  
C. J. Farrugia ◽  
S. W. H. Cowley ◽  
M. Lester ◽  
...  

Abstract. In a case study we demonstrate the spatiotemporal structure of aurora and plasma convection in the cusp/polar cap when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) Bz < 0 and By ~ | Bz | (clock angle in GSM Y - Z plane: ~ 135°). This IMF orientation elicited a response different from that corresponding to strongly northward and southward IMF. Our study of this "intermediate state" is based on a combination of ground observations of optical auroral emissions and ionospheric plasma convection. Utilizing all-sky cameras at NyAlesund, Svalbard and Heiss Island (Russian arctic), we are able to monitor the high-latitude auroral activity within the ~10:00–15:00 MLT sector. Information on plasma convection is obtained from the SuperDARN radars, with emphasis placed on line of sight observations from the radar situated in Hankasalmi, Finland (Cutlass). A central feature of the auroral observations in the cusp/polar cap region is a ~ 30-min long sequence of four brightening events, some of which consists of latitudinally and longitudinally separated forms, which are found to be associated with pulsed ionospheric flows in merging and lobe convection cells. The auroral/convection events may be separated into different forms/cells and phases, reflecting a spatiotem-poral evolution of the reconnection process on the dayside magnetopause. The initial phase consists of a brightening in the postnoon sector (~ 12:00–14:00 MLT) at ~ 73° MLAT, accompanied by a pulse of enhanced westward convection in the postnoon merging cell. Thereafter, the event evolution comprises two phenomena which occur almost simultaneously: (1) westward expansion of the auroral brightening (equatorward boundary intensification) across noon, into the ~ 10:00–12:00 MLT sector, where the plasma convection subsequently turns almost due north, in the convection throat, and where classical poleward moving auroral forms (PMAFs) are observed; and (2) auroral brightening at slightly higher latitudes (~ 75° MLAT) in the postnoon lobe cell, with expansion towards noon, giving rise to a clear cusp bifurcation. The fading phase of PMAFs is accompanied by a "patch" of enhanced (~ 1 km/s) poleward-directed merging cell convection at high latitudes (75–82° MLAT), e.g. more than 500 km poleward of the cusp equatorward boundary. The major aurora/convection events are recurring at ~ 5–10 min intervals. Key words. Magnetospheric physics (auroral phenomena; magnetopause, cusp, and boundary layers; plasma convection)

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1121-1140 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Milan ◽  
M. Lester ◽  
S. W. H. Cowley ◽  
K. Oksavik ◽  
M. Brittnacher ◽  
...  

Abstract. This study employs observations from several sources to determine the location of the polar cap boundary, or open/closed field line boundary, at all local times, allowing the amount of open flux in the magnetosphere to be quantified. These data sources include global auroral images from the Ultraviolet Imager (UVI) instrument on board the Polar spacecraft, SuperDARN HF radar measurements of the convection flow, and low altitude particle measurements from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites, and the Fast Auroral SnapshoT (FAST) spacecraft. Changes in the open flux content of the magnetosphere are related to the rate of magnetic reconnection occurring at the magnetopause and in the magnetotail, allowing us to estimate the day- and nightside reconnection voltages during two substorm cycles. Specifically, increases in the polar cap area are found to be consistent with open flux being created when the IMF is oriented southwards and low-latitude magnetopause reconnection is ongoing, and decreases in area correspond to open flux being destroyed at substorm breakup. The polar cap area can continue to decrease for 100 min following the onset of substorm breakup, continuing even after substorm-associated auroral features have died away. An estimate of the dayside reconnection voltage, determined from plasma drift measurements in the ionosphere, indicates that reconnection can take place at all local times along the dayside portion of the polar cap boundary, and hence presumably across the majority of the dayside magnetopause. The observation of ionospheric signatures of bursty reconnection over a wide extent of local times supports this finding.Key words. Ionosphere (plasma convection; polar ionosphere) – Magnetospheric physics (magnetospheric configuration and dynamics)


2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 1821-1838 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Safargaleev ◽  
T. Sergienko ◽  
H. Nilsson ◽  
A. Kozlovsky ◽  
S. Massetti ◽  
...  

Abstract. We present here the results of multi-instrument observations of auroral torch and Ps6 magnetic pulsations, which are assumed to be the magnetic signature of the spatially periodic optical auroras known as omega bands. Data from TV and ASC cameras in Barentsburg and Ny Ålesund, EISCAT radars in Longyearbyen and Tromsø, as well as IMAGE network were used in this study. The auroral phenomenon which was considered differed from that previously discussed, as it occurred both in an unusual place (high latitudes) and at an unusual time (late morning hours). We show that this might occur due to specific conditions in the interplanetary medium, causing the appropriate deformation of the magnetosphere. In such a case, the IMF turned out to be an additional factor in driving the regime of Ps6/omega bands, namely, only by acting together could a substorm onset in the night sector and Bz variations result in their generation. Since the presumable source of Ps6/omega bands does not co-locate with convection reversal boundaries, we suggest the interpretation of the phenomena in the frame of the interchange instability instead of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability that is widely discussed in the literature in connection with omega auroras. Some numerical characteristics of the auroral torch were obtained. We also emphasize to the dark hole in the background luminosity and the short-lived azimuthally-restricted auroral arc, since their appearance could initiate the auroral torch development. Keywords. Magnetospheric physics (Auroral phenomena; Plasma convection; Solar wind-magnetosphere interaction)


1987 ◽  
Vol 26 (02) ◽  
pp. 73-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Rowan ◽  
P. Byass ◽  
R. W. Snow

SummaryThis paper reports on a computerised approach to the management of an epidemiological field trial, which aimed at determining the effects of insecticide-impregnated bed nets on the incidence of malaria in children. The development of a data system satisfying the requirements of the project and its implementation using a database management system are discussed. The advantages of this method of management in terms of rapid processing of and access to data from the study are described, together with the completion rates and error rates observed in data collection.


2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Hurlimann

This paper reports results from a study comparing perceived risk associated with various recycled water uses in two Australian locations, both in the state of Victoria: the capital city Melbourne, and Bendigo a regional urban centre. Both locations are experiencing ‘drought’, but Bendigo is experiencing this in a more acute manner. A case study is used in each location. Both case studies involve future use of recycled water in new commercial buildings. An on-line survey was used to measure attitudes to recycled water of the future occupants of both buildings. The study found perceived risk associated with 11 uses of recycled water increased as the use became increasingly personal. Interestingly, no difference in perceived risk associated with 11 uses of recycled water was found between locations. Prior experience (use) of recycled water was found to be a significant and positive factor in reducing risk perception. Various attitudinal variables were found to be significant influences on perceived risk. Results indicate that reducing perceived risk of recycled water use may increase satisfaction with its use.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 405
Author(s):  
Marcos Lupión ◽  
Javier Medina-Quero ◽  
Juan F. Sanjuan ◽  
Pilar M. Ortigosa

Activity Recognition (AR) is an active research topic focused on detecting human actions and behaviours in smart environments. In this work, we present the on-line activity recognition platform DOLARS (Distributed On-line Activity Recognition System) where data from heterogeneous sensors are evaluated in real time, including binary, wearable and location sensors. Different descriptors and metrics from the heterogeneous sensor data are integrated in a common feature vector whose extraction is developed by a sliding window approach under real-time conditions. DOLARS provides a distributed architecture where: (i) stages for processing data in AR are deployed in distributed nodes, (ii) temporal cache modules compute metrics which aggregate sensor data for computing feature vectors in an efficient way; (iii) publish-subscribe models are integrated both to spread data from sensors and orchestrate the nodes (communication and replication) for computing AR and (iv) machine learning algorithms are used to classify and recognize the activities. A successful case study of daily activities recognition developed in the Smart Lab of The University of Almería (UAL) is presented in this paper. Results present an encouraging performance in recognition of sequences of activities and show the need for distributed architectures to achieve real time recognition.


2000 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 887-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. T. Jayachandran ◽  
J. W. MacDougall

Abstract. Central polar cap convection changes associated with southward turnings of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) are studied using a chain of Canadian Advanced Digital Ionosondes (CADI) in the northern polar cap. A study of 32 short duration (~1 h) southward IMF transition events found a three stage response: (1) initial response to a southward transition is near simultaneous for the entire polar cap; (2) the peak of the convection speed (attributed to the maximum merging electric field) propagates poleward from the ionospheric footprint of the merging region; and (3) if the change in IMF is rapid enough, then a step in convection appears to start at the cusp and then propagates antisunward over the polar cap with the velocity of the maximum convection. On the nightside, a substorm onset is observed at about the time when the step increase in convection (associated with the rapid transition of IMF) arrives at the polar cap boundary.Key words: Ionosphere (plasma convection; polar ionosphere) - Magnetospheric physics (solar wind - magnetosphere interaction)


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