Observation of auroral emissions induced by artificial plasma jets

In this paper we present ultraviolet to near infrared spectrographic observations of high-speed artificial plasma jet interactions with the ionosphere. The plasma jets were injected quasi-parallel to the magnetic field at an altitude of 140 km during the Fluxus -1 and -2 experiments. The jets contained aluminum ions and were generated using a shaped-charge device known as an Explosive Type Generator (ETG). Satellite-based spectrographic observations of the plasma jet show typical auroral emission features associated with electron impact excitation. The auroral features include emission at 135.6 nm (OI) and 557.7 nm (OI). The 135.6 nm emission was prompt while the 557.7 nm was observed for 5 seconds. The most likely source of these auroral emissions are ionospheric and magnetospheric electrons that neutralize the plasma jet.