Active auroral arc powered by accelerated electrons from very high altitudes

オーロラ粒子の加速領域が超高高度まで広がっていたことを解明 －オーロラ粒子の加速の定説を覆す発見－. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-01-20.Bright, discrete, thin auroral arcs are a typical form of auroras in nightside polar regions. Their light is produced by magnetospheric electrons, accelerated downward to obtain energies of several kilo electron volts by a quasi-static electric field. These electrons collide with and excite thermosphere atoms to higher energy states at altitude of ~ 100 km; relaxation from these states produces the auroral light. The electric potential accelerating the aurora-producing electrons has been reported to lie immediately above the ionosphere, at a few altitudes of thousand kilometres1. However, the highest altitude at which the precipitating electron is accelerated by the parallel potential drop is still unclear. Here, we show that active auroral arcs are powered by electrons accelerated at altitudes reaching greater than 30, 000 km. We employ high-angular resolution electron observations achieved by the Arase satellite in the magnetosphere and optical observations of the aurora from a ground-based all-sky imager. Our observations of electron properties and dynamics resemble those of electron potential acceleration reported from low-altitude satellites except that the acceleration region is much higher than previously assumed. This shows that the dominant auroral acceleration region can extend far above a few thousand kilometres, well within the magnetospheric plasma proper, suggesting formation of the acceleration region by some unknown magnetospheric mechanisms

GEOTAIL observation of the SGR1806-20 Giant Flare: The first 600 ms

On December 27, 2004, plasma particle detectors on the GEOTAIL spacecraft detected an extremely strong signal of hard X-ray photons from the giant flare of SGR1806-20, a magnetar candidate. While practically all gamma-ray detectors on any satellites were saturated during the first ~500 ms interval after the onset, one of the particle detectors on GEOTAIL was not saturated and provided unique measurements of the hard X-ray intensity and the profile for the first 600 ms interval with 5.48 ms time resolution. After ~50 ms from the initial rapid onset, the peak photon flux (integrated above ~50 keV) reached the order of 10^7 photons sec^{-1} cm^{-2}. Assuming a blackbody spectrum with kT=175 keV, we estimate the peak energy flux to be 21 erg sec^{-1} cm^{-2} and the fluence (for 0-600 ms) to be 2.4 erg cm^{-2}. The implied energy release comparable to the magnetic energy stored in a magnetar (~10^{47} erg) suggests an extremely efficient energy release mechanism.Comment: 6 pages, 2 color figures, submitted to Natur

(invité) Nonadiabatic energization and transport of ions in the magnetospheric flanks of Mercury

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(invité) Nonadiabatic energization and transport of ions in the magnetospheric flanks of Mercury

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(invité) Nonadiabatic energization and transport of ions in the magnetospheric flanks of Mercury

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Electric fields in the Hermean environment

International audienceReturning to Mercury with the BepiColombo mission will provide a unique opportunity to obtain in situ information on the electric field in Mercury's magnetosphere. The electric field plays a crucial role for plasma transport in the magnetosphere, for transfer of energy between different parts of the system, and for propagation of information. Measuring the electric field, we will be able to better understand plasma motion and wave propagation in Mercury's magnetosphere. Together with knowledge of the magnetic field a better understanding will be derived of the magnetospheric current systems and their closure at or near the planetary surface. Further, insight into possible substorms at Mercury will be gained. We here focus on the expected amplitudes and frequencies of the electric fields concerned and the requirements for instrument capability that they pose

Plasma/Radio Wave Observations at Mercury by the Bepicolombo MMO Spacecraft

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Plasma/Radio Wave Observations at Mercury by the Bepicolombo MMO Spacecraft

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Plasma/Radio Wave Observations at Mercury by the Bepicolombo MMO Spacecraft

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