NASA NTRS · 20170007792
First Optical Observations of Interhemispheric Electron Reflections Within Pulsating Aurora
Abstract
A case study of a pulsating auroral event imaged optically at high time resolution presents direct observational evidence in agreement with the interhemispheric electron bouncing predicted by the Super Thermal Electron Transport model. Pulsation-on times are identified and subsequent equally spaced fainter pulsations are also noted and can be explained by a portion/percentage of the primary precipitating electrons reflecting upward from the ionosphere, traveling to the opposite hemisphere and reflecting upward again. The high time resolution of these data, combined with the short duration of the pulsation-on time (approx. 1 s) and the relatively long spacing between pulsations (approx. 6 to 9 s) made it possible to observe the faint optical pulses caused by the reflected electrons coming from the opposite hemisphere.
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Samara, M., Michell, R. G., Khazanov, G. V.. 2017-03-22. First Optical Observations of Interhemispheric Electron Reflections Within Pulsating Aurora. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20170007792
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