Dynamics for geomagnetic pulsations, field-aligned currents, and airglow at mid-latitudes within substorm activations during superstorms

Abstract

Within substorm activations during two superstorms (2000 and 2003) from the observations at mid-latitude geomagnetic observatories, we study short-period irregular geomagnetic pulsations and airglow in the 557.7 nm and 630.0 nm atomic oxygen emission lines, and in the 391.4 nm ionized nitrogen molecular band. Through the genuine magnetogram inversion technique, from the 1-minute data of the ground-based magnetometer global network, we investigate the distribution dynamics for field-aligned currents (FACs) in the ionosphere. The relation is shown between pulsation bursts and airglow disturbances in the post-midnight sector to precipitations of energetic electrons (~keV) and increase in the R2 upward FACs.

Keywords

• geomagnetic pulsations
• storm
• substorm
• airglow
• mid-latitude aurora