Altitude of the upper boundary of AAR based on observations of ion beams in inverted-V structures: A case study

作者：Cui YanBo; Fu SuiYan^*; Zong QiuGang; Xie Lun; Sun WeiJie; Zhao Duo; Wu Tong; Parks, George

来源：Science China Earth Sciences, 2016, 59(7): 1489-1497.

DOI：10.1007/s11430-016-0019-3

• Outflowing ion beams
• Inverted-V structure
• Auroral acceleration region
• U-shaped potential structure
• Altitude of upper boundary

Outflowing ion beams forming four successive inverted-V structures in the energy-time spectrograms of H+, He+, and O+ were observed at an altitude of 3.4 R-E by Cluster satellites travelling above the auroral acceleration region (AAR) in the southern hemisphere on February 14, 2001. Energization by negative U-shaped potential structures in the AAR is believed to be responsible for the formation of these outflowing ion inverted-V structures. Thus, utilizing the different motion properties of the three ion species, the altitude of the upper boundary of the AAR is estimated to be similar to 11100 km. Moreover, based on multi-satellite observations, each ofthese U-shaped potential structures involved in this event crosses the latitud in aldirection at similar to 0.4A degrees-1A degrees invariant latitude (ILAT), moving poleward at an average speed of similar to 0.2A degrees ILAT per minute, before disappearing at similar to 71.5A degrees ILAT.

• 出版日期2016-7
• 单位中国科学院地质与地球物理研究所; 北京大学; 中国科学院地质与地球物理研究所兰州油气资源研究中心