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arxiv: 2502.18692 · v1 · pith:X7TCI3GRnew · submitted 2025-02-25 · ⚛️ physics.space-ph · astro-ph.EP· physics.geo-ph· physics.plasm-ph

Streamer-like red line diffuse auroras driven by time domain structures and ECH waves associated with a plasma injection and braking ion flows

classification ⚛️ physics.space-ph astro-ph.EPphysics.geo-phphysics.plasm-ph
keywords red-lineauroraselectronauroralimagersprecipitationassociatedbraking
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Auroral streamers are important meso-scale processes of dynamic magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, typically studied using imagers sensitive to energetic (>1 keV) electron precipitation, such as all-sky imagers (ASIs). This paper reports streamer-like red-line auroras, representing low-energy (<1 keV) precipitation, observed poleward of a black aurora and an auroral torch. These red-line auroras were associated with a magnetospheric electron injection and braking ion flows. Observations were made using the THEMIS spacecraft and ground-based imagers, including the ASI, REGO, and meridian scanning photometer (MSP) at Fort Smith. We identify plasma sheet electron pitch-angle scattering by time-domain structures (TDSs) and electron cyclotron harmonics (ECH) waves as the driver of these red-line auroras, because of (1) a strong correlation (~0.9) between observed red-line intensities and precipitating fluxes; (2) consistent red-line intensities from auroral transport code forward modeling, and (3) consistent precipitation characteristic energies from MSP optical inference and quasi-linear estimates.

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