A linear auroral current-voltage relation in fluid theory

Progress in our understanding of auroral currents and auroral electron acceleration has for decades been hampered by an apparent incompatibility between kinetic and fluid models of the physics involved. A well established kinetic model predicts that steady upward field-aligned currents should be linearly related to the potential drop along the field line, but collisionless fluid models that reproduce this linear current-voltage relation have not been found. Using temperatures calculated from the kinetic model in the presence of an upward auroral current, we construct here approximants for the parallel and perpendicular temperatures. Although our model is rather simplified, we find that the fluid equations predict a realistic large-scale parallel electric field and a linear current-voltage relation when these approximants are employed as nonlocal equations of state. This suggests that the concepts we introduce can be applied to the development of accurate equations of state for fluid simulations of auroral flux tubes.<br><br><b>Key words.</b> Magnetospheric physics (auroral phenomena; magnetosphere-ionosphere interactions) – Space plasma physics (kinetic and MHD theory

Generation mechanism for VLF chorus emissions observed at a low-latitude ground station

A detailed spectral analysis of VLF chorus emissions observed at the low-latitude ground station Gulmarg (geomag. lat., 24° 26' N, geomag. long., 147° 9' E, <i>L</i>=1.28) during the strong magnetic activity on 7-8 March 1986 have been carried out, which shows that each chorus element originates from the upper edge of the underlying hiss band. To explain various temporal and spectral features of these emissions, a possible generation mechanism has been presented based on the backward wave oscillator regime of the magnetospheric cyclotron maser. On the basis of this model, we have computed various chorus parameters as well as some magnetospheric parameters affecting the generation process. A comparison of the observed chorus characteristics with the proposed generation mechanism shows a good agreement

Enhancement of electric and magnetic wave fields at density gradients

We use Freja satellite data to investigate irregular small-scale density variations. The observations are made in the auroral region at about 1000-1700 km. The density variations are a few percent, and the structures are found to be spatial down to a scale length of a few ion gyroradii. Irregular density variations are often found in an environment of whistler mode/lower hybrid waves and we show that at the density gradients both the electric and magnetic wave fields are enhanced

Strong Magnetic Field Fluctuations within Filamentary Auroral Density Cavities Interpreted as VLF Saucer Sources

The Geoelectrodynamics and Electro-Optical Detection of Electron and SuprathermalIon Currents (GEODESIC) sounding rocket encountered more than 100 filamentary densitycavities associated with enhanced plasma waves at ELF (3 kHz) and VLF (310 kHz)frequencies and at altitudes of 800990 km during an auroral substorm. These cavities weresimilar in size (20 m diameter in most cases) to so-called lower-hybrid cavities (LHCs)observed by previous sounding rockets and satellites; however, in contrast, many of theGEODESIC cavities exhibited up to tenfold enhancements in magnetic wave powerthroughout the VLF band. GEODESIC also observed enhancements of ELF and VLFelectric fields both parallel and perpendicular to the geomagnetic field B0 within cavities,though the VLF E field increases were often not as large proportionally as seen in themagnetic fields. This behavior is opposite to that predicted by previously published theoriesof LHCs based on passive scattering of externally incident auroral hiss. We argue thatthe GEODESIC cavities are active wave generation sites capable of radiating VLF wavesinto the surrounding plasma and producing VLF saucers, with energy supplied by cold,upward flowing electron beams composing the auroral return current. This interpretation issupported by the observation that the most intense waves, both inside and outside cavities,occurred in regions where energetic electron precipitation was largely inhibited orabsent altogether. We suggest that the wave-enhanced cavities encountered by GEODESICwere qualitatively different from those observed by earlier spacecraft because of thefortuitous timing of the GEODESIC launch, which placed the payload at apogee within asubstorm-related return current during its most intense phase, lasting only a few minutes

Clinically diagnosed childhood asthma and follow-up of symptoms in a Swedish case control study

BACKGROUND: Childhood asthma has risen dramatically not only in the western societies and now forms a major and still increasing public health problem. The aims of this study were to follow up at the age of ten the patterns of asthma symptoms and associations among children with a clinically diagnosed asthma in a sizeable urban-rural community and to in compare them with demographic controls using a standardised questionnaire. METHODS: In a defined region in Sweden with a population of about 150 000 inhabitants, all children (n = 2 104) born in 1990 were recorded. At the age of seven all primary care and hospital records of the 1 752 children still living in the community were examined, and a group of children (n = 191) was defined with a well-documented and medically confirmed asthma diagnosis. At the age of ten, 86 % of these cases (n = 158) and controls (n = 171) completed an ISAAC questionnaire concerning asthma history, symptoms and related conditions. RESULTS: Different types of asthma symptoms were highly and significantly over-represented in the cases. Reported asthma heredity was significantly higher among the cases. No significant difference in reported allergic rhinitis or eczema as a child was found between cases and controls. No significant difference concerning social factors or environmental exposure was found between case and controls. Among the control group 4.7 % of the parents reported that their child actually had asthma. These are likely to be new asthma cases between the age of seven and ten and give an estimated asthma prevalence rate at the age of ten of 15.1 % in the studied cohort. CONCLUSION: A combination of medical verified asthma diagnosis through medical records and the use of self-reported symptom through the ISAAC questionnaire seem to be valid and reliable measures to follow-up childhood asthma in the local community. The asthma prevalence at the age of ten in the studied birth cohort is considerably higher than previous reports for Sweden. Both the high prevalence figure and allowing the three-year lag phase for further settling of events in the community point at the complementary roles of both hospital and primary care in the comprehensive coverage and control of childhood asthma in the community