FAST satellite observations of large-amplitude solitary structures

被引:391
作者
Ergun, RE [1 ]
Carlson, CW
McFadden, JP
Mozer, FS
Delory, GT
Peria, W
Chaston, CC
Temerin, M
Roth, I
Muschietti, L
Elphic, R
Strangeway, R
Pfaff, R
Cattell, CA
Klumpar, D
Shelley, E
Peterson, W
Moebius, E
Kistler, L
机构
[1] Univ Calif Berkeley, Space Sci Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
[2] Univ Calif Los Alamos Natl Lab, Los Alamos, NM 87545 USA
[3] Univ Calif Los Angeles, IGPP, Los Angeles, CA 90095 USA
[4] NASA, Goddard Space Flight Ctr, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USA
[5] Univ Minnesota, Tate Lab Phys, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
[6] Lockheed Palo Alto Res Labs, Lockheed Martin, Palo Alto, CA 94304 USA
[7] Univ New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 USA
关键词
D O I
10.1029/98GL00636
中图分类号
P [天文学、地球科学];
学科分类号
07 ;
摘要
We report observations of "fast solitary waves" that are ubiquitous in downward current regions of the mid-altitude auroral zone. The single-period structures have large amplitudes (up to 2.5 V/m), travel much faster than the ion acoustic speed, carry substantial potentials (up to similar to 100 Volts), and are associated with strong modulations of energetic electron fluxes. The amplitude and speed of the structures distinguishes them from ion-acoustic solitary waves or weak double layers. The electromagnetic signature appears to be that of an positive charge (electron hole) traveling anti-earthward. We present evidence that the structures are in or near regions of magnetic-field-aligned electric fields and propose that these nonlinear structures play a key role in supporting parallel electric fields in the downward current region of the auroral zone.
引用
收藏
页码:2041 / 2044
页数:4
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