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A new method to derive “instantaneous” high‐latitude potential distributions from satellite measurements including auroral imager data
Author(s) -
Marklund G. T.,
Blomberg L. G.,
Potemra T. A.,
Murphree J. S.,
Rich F. J.,
Stasiewicz K.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl014i004p00439
Subject(s) - physics , satellite , polar orbit , polar , electric field , orbit (dynamics) , latitude , computational physics , magnetic field , geophysics , local time , remote sensing , geodesy , geology , astronomy , statistics , mathematics , quantum mechanics , engineering , aerospace engineering
Electric field, magnetic field, auroral imager and particle observations obtained on the Viking satellite for one dusk‐dawn crossing through the polar cusp, are used to illustrate a new promising technique to derive “instantaneous” pictures of the high‐latitude electrodynamics. Global electric field distributions are calculated using as input UV‐imager data of the auroral distribution and in situ measurements of the electrodynamical parameters along the Viking orbit, which are combined with measured average distributions of field‐aligned currents (Region 1 and 2) and conductivities representing the diffuse auroral background. The input data (j∥ and Σ P , Σ H ) with contributions from both the diffuse auroral background and active regions, and the output data (E) are tested and calibrated to the Viking measurements by point‐by‐point quantitative comparisons along the magnetic footpoint of the satellite. The calculations are done iteratively to refine and improve both the input and the output. The results demonstrate that selfconsistent and realistic solutions of the prevailing “instantaneous” auroral electrodynamics are possible to obtain in this manner.