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Stability of Alfvén eigenmodes in the vicinity of auroral arc
Author(s) -
Hiraki Yasutaka
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1002/jgra.50483
Subject(s) - electric field , convection , geophysics , harmonics , arc (geometry) , instability , breakup , physics , magnetic field , mechanics , anisotropy , shear (geology) , current (fluid) , geology , geometry , optics , voltage , mathematics , petrology , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
The purpose of this study is to give a theoretical suggestion to the essential question why east‐west elongated auroral arc can keep its anisotropic structure for a long time. It could be related to the stability of east‐westward traveling modes in the vicinity of arc, which may develop into wavy or spiral structures, whereas north‐southward modes are related to splitting of arcs. Taking into account the arc‐inducing field‐aligned current and magnetic shears, we examine changes in the stability of Alfvén eigenmodes that are coupled to perpendicular modes in the presence of convection electric field. It is demonstrated that the poleward current shear suppresses growth of the westward mode in case of the westward convection electric field. Only the poleward mode is still unstable because of the properties of feedback shear waves. It is suggested that this tends to promote (poleward) arc splitting as often observed during quiet times. We further draw a diagram of the westward mode growth rate as a function of convection electric field and current shear, evaluating critical fields for instabilities of lower Alfvén harmonics. It is discovered that a switching phenomenon of fast‐growing mode from fundamental to the first harmonic occurs for a high electric field regime. Our stability criterion is applied to some observed situations of auroral arc current system during pre‐breakup active times.