On the auroral current-voltage relationship

Abstract

The auroral relationship between the upward parallel current and the parallel potential drop is predicted using Knight's (1973) collisionless-plasma kinetic theory, and the results are compared with near-simultaneously carried out measurements by DE 1 and DE 2. The agreement between the calculated and observed data is generally good. However, the Knight current, since it does not include upward ionospheric electrons, is not valid in the downward return current region. It was found that suprathermal electron bursts could be observed in the diffuse aurora at the same invariant latitudes, both at high and at low altitudes, suggesting that these bursts are a spatial rather than temporal phenomenon.