An Implication of Detecting the Internal Modulation in a Pulsating Aurora: A Conjugate Observation by the Arase Satellite and All-Sky Imagers

A physical mechanism to produce pulsating aurora (PsA) has been considered to be the interaction of the electron and the chorus wave generated near the equatorial plane of the magnetosphere. A recent observation of high temporal resolution of chorus waves by the Arase satellite revealed that the presence or absence of the internal modulation of PsA, which is a characteristic sub-second scintillation at 3 +/- 1 Hz within each optical pulsation, is closely related to the discreteness of the element structure of the chorus wave. However, it is still unclear what parameters (or conditions) control the discreteness of the element and the existence of the internal modulation of PsA. In this study, we discuss parameters that determine the presence or absence of the internal modulation of PsA and element structure of chorus by showing a conjugate observation of PsA/chorus by ground-based cameras and the Arase satellite. During the event, the occurrence of internal modulation increased temporally. The wave data from the satellite show that the repetitive frequency of elements was similar to 6 Hz when the internal modulation was indistinct, while the repetitive frequency was similar to 3 Hz when the internal modulation was distinct. The particle measurements suggest that this difference was caused by changes in the density and the temperature anisotropy of the hot electron. The internal modulation was clearly observed when the density of hot electrons decreased and the temperature anisotropy relaxed after the injection. Observations of internal modulations from the ground might allow us to estimate the parameters such as energetic electron density and temperature anisotropy in the magnetosphere.

Automated summary

A physical mechanism for pulsating aurora has been proposed as the interaction between electrons and chorus waves near the equatorial plane of the magnetosphere. Recent observations have revealed a correlation between the presence of internal modulation in pulsating aurora and the discreteness of the element structure of chorus waves. However, the parameters controlling this discreteness and modulation are still uncertain.